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BC’s water unsafe — Itogon elders

BAGUIO CITY (Aug. 11) — Itogon elder Simplicio Sicuan, a Kankanaey from Mountain Province who has been residing in Brgy. Tuding in nearby Itogon in Benguet, confirmed earlier reports that the water Benguet Corporation (BC) is selling to the Baguio Water District (BWD) is unsafe and contaminated with mine effluents.

The controversial awarding of the Bulk Water Supply Project (BWSP) has not been consummated due to some protest actions from Baguio consumers and the city government’s appeal for BWD Board of Directors (BOD) to uphold its earlier rejection.

Local government units in both Itogon and Benguet did not endorse the BWSP.

“Ti maysa a na-apruban a water right ket mainaig iti danum a magapo iti abandonado nga usok,” (One of the approved water rights concerns a source which is an abandoned tunnel) Sicuan said in his talk during the opening of this year’s National Minority Week celebrations at the People’s Park. He added that residents in Itogon could not even use the said water for boiling beans because it is unable to cook the said Cordillera staple.

Residents in Tuding, Ucab and Gumatdang, Sicuan said, can attest to his claims. He describes the water as “sulfuric” with its rusty appearance. He said even rocks along the waterway seem rusty from the water residue.

Sicuan also claims that BC’s mineral water business did not prosper because it was not safe for human consumption.

“Naduktalan ti BC nga ad-ado ti gastoenna a mang-purify ti danum ngem ti ganansya nga alaenna iti nasao a negosyo,” (BC later discovered that it would spend more to purify the water than profit from the said business) Sicuan claims.

In the same occasion, Maura Almoza, an Ibaloy from Brgy. Loacan also in Itogon called on Baguio consumers to continue opposing the BWSP.

Benguet Gov. Borromeo Melchor said on Tuesday that BC should first obtained the Itogon residents’ approval before tapping Itogon water for the BWSP, saying it would be unfair if Baguio is supplied with Itogon water when its residents are being deprived of the precious liquid.

Meanwhile, Baguio Mayor Braulio D. Yaranon brushed aside claims that politics is involved in his earlier stand opposing the BWSP saying the project is detrimental to the local populace.

“I assure you that I will die fighting the bulk water project not for any political reason but for the merits and demerits of the project,” Yaranon told the Baguio media in his weekly “Ugnayan sa Bayan” at the city hall here.

Yaranon last week appealed to the BWD-BOD not to change its earlier rejection of the BWSP because of some legal requirements that BC has yet to secure from appropriate government bodies, among others. The project involves collecting water from Itogon rivers and streams that traverse populated and agricultural areas, and impounding of surface water in an abandoned open pit area.

He also questioned the potability of water to be supplied to BWD and raised the issue of whether the contaminated water can be purified economically and on a large scale.

BC commits to deliver some 50,000 cubic meters of safe and clean water daily. However Yaranon said, he is not confident BC could abide by it because the purifying process will not be under its disposition.

Yaranon also reiterated that there is no need for the BWSP as efforts to drill more deep wells, he said, are now producing enough. He also raised the possible increase in water rates.

Earlier last week, BWD Board Chair Atty. Antonio Espiritu invoked the BOD’s free hand on the project implementation. He however said that the issuance of the notice of award of the bids does not necessarily mean awarding the contract to BC. He clarified that BC still has a lot to do before it could proceed with the project.

Earlier, however, Espiritu was quoted by the Baguio media as saying that BC could sue BWD if it did not issue the notice of award. BC is the lone qualified bidder. # Lyn V. Ramo for NORDIS with reports from Aileen P. Refuerzo/PIO

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