Danao to supply water for Lapu, Mandaue Cities

March 23, 2009

Are they serious?

Sun.Star Cebu, March 24, 2009.

DANAO City officials and the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) signed yesterday a water supply agreement that will help address the water shortage in the cities of Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu.

Starting next year, the Danao City Government will supply a minimum of 5,000 cubic meters a day at P17 per cubic meter, which is cheaper by P8, Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña said.

The mayor said the deal is advantageous to MCWD, unlike the proposed Car-men bulk water supply agreement.

Franchise area

 MCWD board member Joy Augustus Young said the water from Danao City will be diverted to the water supply system in Liloan town, which distributes water to Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu.

 “The supply will start sometime next year. It will help solve the water shortage problem in some parts of the franchise area but that will not be enough,” Young said.

Young and Osmeña, the appointing authority in the MCWD, both attended the signing of the memorandum of agreement in Danao City yesterday morning.

In his news conference yesterday, Osmeña said that unlike Ayala’s proposal that MCWD junked in 2007, the Danao City Government is not requiring a substantial minimum off-take purchase.

 It can supply as much as 40,000 cubic meters per day, but it will only require MCWD to buy 5,000 cubic meters.

Proposal

The Ayala consortium had proposed to sell water to MCWD at P25 with a minimum daily purchase of 50,000 cubic meters.

“Danao City will charge only P17 per cubic meter while Ayala insisted on P25. It shows you how overpriced the deal is. And the lobby for Ayala water was so strong, including Cabinet members and even the National Economic and Development Authority,” the mayor said.

No politics

Meantime, Jose Thad-deus Roble, chief of staff of Mayor Ramon Durano III, told Sun.Star Cebu that the Duranos’ meeting with Mayor Osmeña yesterday was “purely MCWD consultation and signing of MOA.”

“Nothing is cooking yet,” said Roble when asked whether there was already a building of political alliances during the meeting.

Roble assured he will share whatever political developments in the fifth district, particularly in Danao City. (LCR/GMD)