The Cebu Provincial Water Resource Authority (PWRA) announced in a general assembly on January 21 the tariff rates for the Capitol’s bulk water supply project in Moalboal.
For household consumers, they will have to pay a minimum rate of P115 per month for water consumption ranging from one to 10 cubic meters (cu.m.), with escalating rate for those who would be consuming more.
For commercial and industrial establishments such as resorts, the Capitol will be charging a minimum of P230 for consumption of one to 10 cu.m, with escalation rate also for those who would be going beyond that.
Gov. Gwen Garcia, who heads the PWRA, said the rates introduced by the Capitol are the same rates implemented by the local Moalboal Water District (MWD). After the assembly, the PWRA-determined rates will have to be approved by the Provincial Board before the Capitol can start collecting monthly dues from consumers.
“Gibuhat namo ang tanan pagtubag sa among tulomanon. Inyo sab tubagon ang inyong tulomanon kay aron ang dugay na ninyo gitinguha ug gidamgo, baynte-kwatro oras, pito ka adlaw sa usa ka semana, way hunong, way pahinay-hinay, naa na gyoy tubig matag panimalay,” Gov. Gwen said.
The PWRA is created under Section 8 of Provincial Ordinance No. 2022-08 or the “Water Code of the Province of Cebu of 2022”, thereby eliminating the need in seeking approval from the National Water Resources Board which could cause tremendous delays to the Capitol’s ambitious bulk water supply projects in the province.
It is tasked among many others “to formulate and establish a systematic and comprehensive plan to develop all water resources to include bulk water supply system in the Province of Cebu”; as well as prescribe and fix tariffs and fees, subject to the approval of the Provincial Board, for the water used and supplied to consumers of water projects in the province.
General Assembly
Attendees to the general assembly held at the municipal gym are residents from the nine (out of 16) barangays in the town that are to benefit from the Capitol’s Level III water system. These barangays include Saavedra, Tubli, Basdiot, Poblacion West, Poblacion East, Tunga, Lanao, Bugho, and Bala.
They are not currently being served by MWD, and for the longest time, have been relying on private suppliers for their daily water needs that also come at a high cost.
Engr. Rey Marinas, chief of the Provincial Waterworks Division, told 𝗦𝘂𝗴𝗯𝗼 𝗡𝗲𝘄𝘀 that there are now 8,690 households from these barangays that have signed up for the water services of this important Capitol program.
For commercial establishments such as resorts and hotels in Moalboal, Gov. Gwen said sourcing their water from the Capitol project will be made mandatory as it will be included in their requirements in renewing their Mayor’s and Governor’s permits.
It was reported that resorts in Moalboal are charged by private suppliers by as much as P250 per cubic meter of water which could be a reason for their pricey accommodation, something which would turn off some budget-conscious tourists in this town whose economy is primarily driven by tourism.
“Dili makab-ot ang kalampusan kon wala si Governor Gwen. Isip amahan sa atong lungsod, dako namo kining kalipay ug garbo,” Moalboal Mayor Inocentes Cabaron said during the assembly.
The Capitol has already spent P317 million for the Level III water system in Moalboal, which is a part of its larger initiative of providing bulk water supply for an initial 25 LGUs in the province.
The Capitol collects and treats surface water from a spring in Brgy. Bala, which has a production capacity of six million liters per day.
This thoroughly filtered and treated, clean and potable water is then transmitted from the reservoir through over 60-kilometer of huge transmission pipes and delivered all the way to individual homes whose water consumption is being monitored by their respective smart meters.
In real time, these smart meters report to the Capitol’s monitoring system the consumption of individual consumer, and their billing statements are also sent online, without the need for manual workers on the ground.
Consumers may pay through various channels, including Gcash, M Lhuillier, or Palawan Pawnshop. | JMT/IAA