THE MIWD BIDDING

Hole of Justice

by Peter G. Jimenea

The MIWD bid next month

More than 11 companies, among them Maynilad and Manila Water are expected to join the next month’s public bidding for the “bulk water supply” contract with the Metro Iloilo Water District (MIWD).

This is a rare opportunity for big business to rake a windfall, spring from the wretchedness of the MIWD which is self-inflicted because the board of directors deliberately sabotaged its operations by scrimping on physical investments like repairing major pipelines and tapping surface water.

The collusion forged by top Ilonggo political leaders and leading city businessmen could be behind this sabotage for their will to be done. The chief local executive has a hand in the appointments of MIWD Board of Directors who overtly professed what they covertly undertake.

Their godfathers are the people who want to control the water distribution business in the city. Due to that premeditated design to sabotage the operation of the management, MIWD is now in its worst rotten stage.

To privatize the distribution of water, a strategic need, would mean more profits going to private hands. Among its consequences, is the price of water that would shoot up. The P159 minimum monthly payment for households consuming two cubic meters or less, could double when the PPP-inspired bulk water supply contract is in place.

The target is additional 30,000 cubic meters of water daily. Iloilo City has no more of that, given the systematic destruction of its “natural water harvesters” and the contamination of its shallow aquifer or the underground water within the maximum depth of 50 meters.

By “natural water harvesters” it means the surface area that nature has given us to collect and preserve rainwater. I am referring to the wetlands, grasslands, mangrove areas and marshlands that Iloilo City had been known for in the past.

Rain water percolates in these “water harvesters” and gradually seeps to the aquifer. At the rate underground water is being extracted, Iloilo City’s natural surface could no longer replenish its aquifer.

Underground water source badly depleted, MIWD has to pump in neighboring towns. This does not solve the problem, it merely transfer the burden to another’s shoulders. This is how the Board of Directors and their godfather “solve” the problem - letting somebody else to bear it.

The winning bidder will be entitled to pump 10,000 cubic meters daily in Pototan town, 15,000 cu. m. in Oton and 5,000 cu.m. in Pavia. What right does the MIWD have in arrogating the prerogative that belongs to the constituents of the towns it intends to extract water from?

The winning bidder will draw water from Pototan, Pavia and Oton when these towns, Iloilo Province in general, has no participation in the bidding process. San Miguel town already “surrendered”; it already barred MIWD from drilling another deep well because it has to fill first the needs of its town people.

That would mean, Pototan, Pavia and Oton would eventually bleed dry. I wonder how the residents of these towns would deal with the depletion of their natural wealth. Other than the danger of erosion in the long process of extraction, water, is said, would be the next cause of, to replace oil, as spark of future armed conflicts.

The public bidding will be done next month. Supposedly, bidders have yet to comply with requirements, among them, documents showing their respective track records in the field of water supply services. They have to conform to prequalification procedures which in this case, are being done away with.

There is a script, my sources point out, that either Maynilad or Manila Water, both having an unworthy track record in water supply management will win, but once awarded the contract, it will be subcontracted to the other local bidders.

The big question is why did the two big water suppliers from Manila come here when the volume of water supply required of them by their big city clients were not even met and are dissatisfied of their services? Our elected leaders and their businessmen cohorts will soon be named to answer this!