NOTE: THIS STORY WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN THE BOHOL CHRONICLE’S SUNDAY PRINT EDITION.
The Loctob Water Inc. (LWI), a subsidiary of Richly Water Inc., cited the Loboc LGU for indirect harassment on its water project using the Loctob spring water. Without interference, the multi-million project would have accorded residents of Loboc and possibly Albur, Baclayon, Tagbilaran, Dauis, and Panglao clean and potable water soon.
POLITICS MAIN REASON
LWI/Richli said that Loboc through Mayor Raymond Jala wrote the DENR to investigate the Loboc LWI water project as its ECC was given but with no permit for quarrying operation as alleged by the mayor. The excavated land in the area was not sold to other parties but used to flatten the terrain where the water plant was erected, explained LWI/Richli.
The company said the project has all the legal requirements to operate but it sems that the mayor is trying to block the project. “Ugly politics” seems to be the motivation behind the LGU”s antipathy to the water project that would primarily benefit the Loboc consumers, according to the firm officials.
It may be noted that Richi Co-Chairman Phoebe Lim is the sister of Erwin Baquial who is contesting Jala for the mayoralty bid of Loboc. Richli Chairman Richard Lim even revealed that the camp of Jala had offered a “compromise” on the water project as long as Baquial withdraws his candidacy for mayor.
As of press time, there was no reaction from Mayor Jala regarding the allegations.
WATER CRISIS PROBLEM
For decades, Bohol has turned off investors and residents from staying here due to a lack of water, it may be recalled. With over a billion DBP loans and corporate equity, Richli started with Cortes and now Loboc spring to answer the problem squarely.
In his Philippine Star column “Demand and Supply” eminent writer Boo Chanco repeated that at his presidential inaugural President Bongbong Marcos said- that the country is in “a water crisis as 11 million people” are bereft of water, especially during the dry season.
A bill has been proposed creating a new Department of Water, but it seems to be mothballed somewhere in the legislative mill.
HARASSMENT
The LWI project would have started this December operationally if there had been no interference. First, the Loboc LGU passed a resolution imposing another extraction fee of P 3 per cubic meter which will be passed on to the consumer and result in increased water costs. LWI earlier contested it saying that water resources belong to the government, and it is the NWRB (National Water Resources Board) that is rightfully collecting the extraction fees for water use.
Once approved by Governor Aris Aumentado and the Sangguniang Panglalawigan this month or so, LWI said, or “no action is taken by the Capitol”, Jala’s ordinance will be imposed on LWI and its water consumers.
Applying for a Mayor’s/Building permit in January 2024, it was only granted by the Loboc LGU in April of this year. According to LWI, they then received a copy of the letter from Mayor Raymond G. Jala for an ECC (Environmental Compliance Certificate) for the piping project. LWI replied it has the proper ECC and a DPWH permit for the digging.
After a week or so, LWI said it received an inspection report from the Loboc municipal health officer citing various violations including the 20-meter easement violation. LWI retorted: “LWI did not violate the 20-meter easement as our water treatment plant is 55 meters from the Loboc River. Our intake pump is at Loctob Spring which is indicated in our water permit. We will pump the water from the spring not from the mountain.”
Furthermore, Mayor Jala personally wrote the DENR to inspect and investigate LWI for possible violations including alleged quarrying and excessively deep excavations. In response, OIC CENRO of DENR Bohol Glicerita C. Racho is scheduling such an inspection along with other government agencies.
IMPLICATIONS’
The resulting delay in the LWI project would worsen the water shortage especially in the fabled tourist island of Panglao and Dauis and other nearby places. More importantly, LWI said, it will penalize the water-consuming public and enterprises of Loboc, the very constituency of Mayor Jala.
The team of Kagawad Erwin Bacquial who is running for mayor, on the other hand, is fully supportive of the Loboc water project given the lack of water in the community which is a basic human need. (With reports from Allen Doydora).