Iloilo City gets new water distributor

Iloilo City Mayor Jose Espinosa III (second from left) and SBRI president Criselle Alejandro (3rd from left) lead the ribbon cutting during the grand launching of the P500 million Jaro Water Supply and Distribution Project on Sept 20, 2018. (Photo courtesy of Louine Hope Conserva)

SOUTH Balibago Resources, Inc (SBRI) has started supplying and distributing water in several barangays and subdivisions in Jaro district in Iloilo City.

The P500-million Jaro Water Supply and Distribution Project produces 10,000 cubic meters daily and can supply 12,000 households and establishments.

It is composed of a 10,000-cubic meter per day water treatment plant sourcing water from the Jalaur River; a 17-kilometer primary transmission line with a size of 500 millimeters; and 100 kilometers of distribution pipelines in 34 subdivisions and three barangays in Jaro.

SBRI president Criselle P. Alejandro said they decided to penetrate the Jaro district because the Metro Iloilo Water District (MIWD), Iloilo City’s water provider, has no pipelines in some subdivisions.

“The subdivisions where MIWD has pipelines, we have not entered those. So there is really no competition here,” she told the local press during the grand launching of the water system project on Sept 20, 2018.

The barangays which were already “energized” are Buntatala, Tagbak, Camalig, and Balantang. The supply has also reached Barangay Buntatala Zone 3, Sta. Rosa Subdivision, Landheights Ville Subdivision, Landheights 3 Phase 1, Landheights Phase 2, San Jose Subdivision, Lauan-Village, Dolmax Subdivision, Aseco Subdivision, and Villa Ofelia Subdivision.

Alejandro said they will continue to expand to other barangays. They will also double the plant’s capacity to 20,000 cubic meters per day or equivalent to 24,000 households.

Engr. Ponciano T. Cruz, vice president for engineering, said SBRI has a water pressure of 40 to 65 per square inch (psi). It can reach up to the third floor of the building.

Angel Gonez Reino, country manager of INCLAM Southeast Asia which built the treatment plant, assured that quality water will be provided to Ilonggos.

“We assure that the water that comes from the Jalaur River is properly treated. The households in Jaro district will have high quality water,” he said.

SBRI’s water costs P357.50 per 10 cubic meters.

LEGAL FRANCHISE

Iloilo City Mayor Joe Espinosa III welcomed the project as he said it is another source of water in Jaro.

“I welcome anyone that would be investing for water in Iloilo. Iloilo City has a scarce water resource,” he said.

The mayor stressed that the franchise given to SBRI to operate a water system project in Jaro district is legal.

It was on April 18, 2016 when SBRI was awarded the franchise by the city government when Espinosa was still the vice mayor.

Espinosa is firm that there is a law that allows a local government unit to issue a franchise to a private water provider.

“There is a law and there is a decision of the Supreme Court that an LGU can issue non-exclusive franchise,” he said.

Alejandro revealed there are currently two pending cases filed against them by MIWD.

First is the case against the Iloilo City government and SBRI to nullify the ordinance; second is the case against SBRI and the National Water Resources Board (NWRB) to revoke the certificate of public convenience that the latter granted to the former.

Alejandro refrained from discussing other details of the cases. But she also stressed that their franchise is legal.

“The Supreme Court rules that there is no such thing as exclusivity. There can be no monopoly if in water. There can be many water service providers in one area,” She said.

South Balibago Resources is a partnership between the Balibago Waterworks System, Inc. and the La Filipina Uy Gongco Corp.

It also operates in Passi City and Barotac Viejo.

SBRI is also exploring other franchise opportunities in the Visayas and Mindanao region.

SOURCE: Iloilo City Government

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