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Baguio water war far from over

BAGUIO CITY (Aug. 20) — Baguio’s water war is far from over. Even after holding the Asian Development Bank (ADB) sponsored Baguio Water Summit at the Pine View Hotel here on Aug. 18, several sectors have yet to come out with a united view on how the water problem should be seen.

Chie Galvez, spokesperson of the progressive Pro-CONSUMERS appealed to Baguio residents to get involved in the wake of the awarding of contract for a bulk water supply project (BWSP).

“Sana matuto na tayong makialam at buuin na natin ang nagkakaisang pagtingin sa problema ng tubig sa syudad,” (We should learn to get involved and come up with a united position on nature of Baguio’s water problem) Galvez appealed not only to the water summit participants but also to the entire Metro Baguio populace after she aired her group’s reaction to the impending awarding of the BWSP contract to Benguet Corporation (BC).

Galvez raised the issue of chemical contamination and the increased water price, among others, against the awarding of the BWSP contract to BC.

Finite, exhaustible supply

Engr. Ver Bombita of the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) clarified during the summit that water is exhaustible, being a vulnerable resource in response to Mayor Braulio Yaranon’s earlier pronouncements that water is infinite and inexhaustible.

“Water becomes less and less as we use it,” Bombita said. He reiterated that only three percent of the world’s water resources is freshwater of which only 0.5% is available. Further, only .003% of this fresh water is usable.

Yaranon, who welcomed around 150 participants to the water summit, earlier iterated that Baguio City is sitting on a vast reservoir of water. He said that the city has a substantial share in the world’s freshwater.

“Our aquifer is sustainable,” Yaranon said, “and will stay there for generations provided it is protected, conserved, and not wasted. We can assure that the next generations will have sufficient safe, potable water supplied to residents at reasonable costs.”

In explaining the vulnerability of water, Bombita said precipitation affects the amount of utilization. He said some of the water flows on the surface, but a considerable portion seeps into the ground.

To draw or not to draw underground water

Earlier, Atty. Nelly Olairez representative of the water refilling stations’ group said that she is confused on the true state of Baguio’s water. She said her group has been receiving inputs that drawing underground water would adversely impact on the environment. She said the mayor’s statement that there is enough groundwater in Baguio’s environment confused her.

To the issue LWUA raised that many water delivery stations do not pay for the water they draw from the ground, Olairez said her group would be ready to shoulder the costs of metered water.

Galvez offered Pro-CONSUMERS’ services to steer discussions on the water problem up to the community level after one of the staff of International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI)-Local Governments for Sustainability, organizers of the water summit, aborted an attempt to divide the house on the issue of bulk water supply project. Galvez said this might result in an uninformed option of getting the votes.

Who is polluting Itogon water?

Benguet Board Member Aloysius Kato, also rose irate at the discussions that seemed to confuse him. He reacted to Galvez’s statement that the BWSP would supply Baguio with water contaminated with lead, cadmium, mercury and other mine effluents from BC’s mining sites. He said it is Baguio’s wastes which has been polluting the Ambalanga River in Itogon.

He raised concern over the budget implications shoould the townsfolk ask for actions to purify their domestic water. He, however challenged Pro-CONSUMERS to come up with a more thorough investigation of Itogon’s water being offered by BC to supply Baguio’s water needs.

Kato claims that the sulfuric nature of some Itogon water sources could be treated by a three-layer charcoal filtration technology. He admitted that there are mine effluents from the mining communities that might have seeped into the ground. Although he said Itogon folk utilize underground water, he did not mention why people in some communities like Ucab have to queue for water coming from other communities as Beckel in Baguio and Sabkil, also in Itogon.

He said Itogon officials did not even raise the potability of water as an issue. They were concerned with the water to be supplied to Baguio City despite the scarcity of the resource for their constituents, Kato said.

Ironically, Itogon Mayor Mario Godio reiterated this saying the Itogon government does not oppose the BWSP.

“Serve us first before delivering 50,000 cubic meters (of water) to Baguio City,” Godio said in several occasions.

BWSP Awarded?

In another Forum at the Rosebowl restaurant here on Aug. 19, Atty. Antonio Espiritu, chairman of the Baguio Water District (BWD) Board of Directors (BOD), clarified that it is the Notice of Award which was issued to BC earlier within the week and not the BWSP contract itself.

Espiritu told local government officials and former President Fidel V. Ramos in a forum that BC could not start addressing problems without the Notice of Award. The BOD, he said, still has the option not to award the contract once BC fails to address issues raised by many quarters, including those raised by Yaranon. These include the potability, the high cost of water social acceptability and legal requirements.

Espiritu also clarified that if the water BC will deliver would be toxic, the BWD will not buy it. He said a receiving tank in Brgy. Ambiong here would be constructed to ensure that water passes the Philippine Standards for Drinking Water.

Earlier, Yaranon dared the BOD to resign if they can not retract the Notice of Award and contemplated on filing a graft and corruption case against the BOD before the ombudsman once a formal report reaches his office.

FVR tried to play arbiter saying the San Roque Dam, which is at the boundary of Pangasinan and Benguet, may solve Baguio’s water problem. Jestingly or not, his argument seemed not to hold water. Nevertheless, he told the politicians and the media that the 25-year integrated plan is not yet done.

“Reconcile your immediate differences,” FVR advised the politicians “ before you could come out with a long-term solution to Baguio’s water problems. # Lyn V. Ramo for NORDIS

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