Asturias takes over water cooperative
By Doris C. Bongcac
Cebu Daily News
First Posted 14:03:00 04/15/2008
CEBU CITY, Philippines – The municipal government of Asturias is taking over the operations of a water cooperative in Barangay (village) Sta. Lucia where at least 20 people have fallen sick of typhoid fever.
Mayor Alan Adlawan said their takeover of the Sta. Lucia Waterworks Association will ensure that drinking water is safe from contaminants.
Adlawan on Monday met with Governor Gwendolyn Garcia and Reverend Father Prumencio Mahusay, the head of the water cooperative, at the Cebu Provincial Capitol.
Quoting records from the municipal health office, Adlawan said 20 residents in Barangay Sta. Lucia got sick of typhoid fever from March 3 to April 12.
One of the victims, Catalino Candidisimo, 50, died on March 3.
Adlawan said that typhoid fever was traced to the presence of salmonella bacteria in the barangay’s artesian wells and the cooperative-run water system.
“But we were already able to control the contamination with the help of the IPHO (Integrated Provincial Health Office). We are also campaigning for the people to always boil their drinking water,” he said.
Governor Garcia said that it is a policy of her administration to encourage local government units to operate their own water system since this is a vital facility.
She said LGUs also become more responsible because they are the ones accountable for such an operation.
“If managed well, it (water system) may become a viable economic enterprise,” she said.
Garcia said she has directed members of the provincial water task force to reevaluate the town’s water system.
“It may no longer be enough to address the demand. We will be helping the local officials in an expansion program,” she said.
Adlawan said that while Mahusay did not oppose the takeover of the Sta. Lucia water system, he demanded compensation for the assets that his cooperative would lose to the municipal government.
A group composed of provincial, municipal and association representatives would assess the assets, which will be reevaluated by the provincial appraisal committee, said Adlawan.
Adlawan said he would hold an assembly of Sta. Lucia residents tonight to explain the municipal government’s takeover of their water system.
This means the water cooperative will only be allowed to collect payment for water consumed until Wednesday.
The Asturias mayor also sought the province’s assistance for an expansion program to interconnect the six different water systems that supply potable water to his town’s 27 barangays.
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