INQUIRER Global Nation

CHEAPER water may soon reach the cities of Mandaue and Talisay, barangay Talamban, Cebu City and the towns of Consolacion and Mactan.

This prospect arose after the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) signed a 10-year contract with water supplier Abejo Builders.

Abejo Builders, a supplier of treated and potable water, has been supplying water to Talisay City since 2004.

The MCWD said it awarded the contract to Abejo because the supplier provided the cheapest rate at P14.08 per cubic meter. Abejo will supply 7,000 cubic meter a day.

Abejo has also been in the business for quite sometime now, thus it has more experience as compared to the other two bidders.

The contract between MCWD and Abejo stated that the rate offered is fixed and no escalation fees will be implemented. This means that consumers would not have to pay higher fees in the coming years.

Abejo said it offered a cheaper rate because the water source is just near its injection point or where it extracts and treats water before distributing it to the public.

Meanwhile, MCWD General Manager Armando Paredes said the cancellation of the permit of the Ayala Stateland consortium to implement the Carmen Bulk Water project by the National Water Resources Board is not definite.

“There may be certain factors causing the cancellation, but our office is not at liberty to make or issue statements regarding the matter,” Paredes said.

Although he said that the MCWD will not benefit from the cancellation of permit because the consortium was never a target client of the water district. Correspondent Jully Venus Cuizon