• CHRYSEE G. SAMILLANO
Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez issued Executive Order No. 014, organizing a coordinating action team to expedite the implementation of vital infrastructure projects aimed at improving the supply of water in Bacolod City.
There are reports that several barangays of Bacolod City have been experiencing water shortages and interruptions, adversely affecting the daily lives and livelihood of residents. This is also being aggravated by the adverse effects of the current El Niño phenomenon, the order said.
One of the recognized causes of water shortage is the difficulty of acquiring ownership or road right of way in areas where water pipes need to pass in order to supply water to the City of Bacolod, it said.
Acquiring road right of way for infrastructure projects is essential for the development and improvement of road networks in the city, the order said.
There is a need to expedite the process of acquiring road right of way to facilitate the implementation of vital infrastructure projects which necessitate the interventions of the city, in order to mitigate the immediate problem of a water shortage in the City of Bacolod, it said.
The order provides for the creation of the Coordinating Action Team to be headed by Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez as chairman and LDRRMO Dr. Anna Maria Laarni Pornan as vice chairman.
Funding requirements will be chargeable against the funds of the City Mayor’s Office or any other available funds of the City of Bacolod, the order said.*
