Cagayan de Oro water supply affected as Bukidnon town halts infra upgrade

CAGAYAN DE ORO, Philippines – A town government in the Bukidnon province has ordered a major supplier of treated water to stop laying new pipes due to its alleged failure to comply with local government requirements, a move expected to impact the tap water supply in neighboring Cagayan de Oro City.

Baungon Mayor Rogelio Jaraula issued a cease-and-desist order on the pipe-laying activities of Rio Verde Water Consortium Incorporated (RVWCI), stating that the company failed to provide the necessary documents to prove that it had obtained the required clearances, permits, and had paid the requisite fees.

Jaraula’s Executive Order No. 55-2023, issued on October 19, has affected efforts to improve the company’s network of water pipes. The company has been sourcing water from Baungon town’s Bobonawan River since 2013 to supply bulk water to the Cagayan de Oro Water District (COWD) through the Cagayan de Oro Bulk Water Incorporated (COBI).

The town government alleged that Rio Verde-COBI has not complied with the Local Government Code of 1991 and Municipal Ordinance No. 2017-475, which require permits for excavation activities.

Jaraula said the pipe installation work would require an environmental impact assessment and a locational clearance, as provided in Municipal Ordinance No. 2012-445.

Lawyer Ernie Palanan, a town resident, said the pipes were being replaced with larger ones to meet the increasing demand for water in Cagayan de Oro by increasing the volume of water that Rio Verde-COBI can extract from the Bobonawan River. 

He said the COWD would likely continue to face a shortage of bulk water if the installation of Rio Verde-COBI’s water pipes is delayed or halted.

“It is ironic that, for the past 10 years, Baungon has been supplying the bulk water needs of COWD and Cagayan de Oro residents through Rio Verde, yet we do not have our own water system,” Palanan said.

On September 11, the town government’s Task Force Bantay Tubig granted the firm a five-day deadline to submit the 13 required documents. Jaraula later extended the deadline to September 18.

Jaraula created the task force on August 8 after receiving a resolution from the town council urging him to issue a cease-and-desist order against Rio Verde-COBI.

The Task Force Bantay Tubig required the company to submit the following documents:

• Water rights from the National Water Resources Board (NWRB)
• Environmental Compliance Certificate from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB)
• Project feasibility study
• Plans and specifications
• Plumbing permit
• Memorandum of agreement (MOA) between the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) and Rio Verde
• MOA between NIA and Metro Pacific Water
• MOA with the affected landowners
• MOA with affected indigenous cultural communities
• MOA with the Cagayan de Oro Water District
• Business permit to show compliance with local regulations
• Tax clearance or payments, supported by corresponding payment dates
• Permits or clearances for upgrading pipes from 0.6 meters to 1.2 meters in diameter

In response to Jaraula’s order, Rio Verde President Joffrey Hapitan said they cannot be compelled to submit certain documents, citing the Data Privacy Act of 2012.

Hapitan was referring to 10 of the 13 documents required by the town government, emphasizing that the release of such documents require the consent of those who signed them and the company’s board resolution. 

He urged the town government to review its records regarding the company’s permits, tax payments, and clearances.

Hapitan also claimed that road-right-of-way issues, involving 75 affected landowners, had already been resolved, contrary to the findings of the town council and the task force.

“Our legal counsel has informed us that the issue of whether or not the pipe laying can continue is already beyond the competence of anyone or any tribunal outside the court,” Hapitan wrote in a letter on September 26.

As early as August 8, the town council passed Municipal Resolution No. 2023-169, requesting Jaraula to issue a cease-and-desist order against the pipe-laying activities of Rio Verde-COBI.

The pipe-laying work involves extensive trenching from the Bobonawan River through Baungon’s four villages of Salimbalan, Imbatug, Liboran, and Pualas, spanning a distance of over 20 kilometers.

Copies of Jaraula’s order were sent to the offices of Bukidnon Governor Rogelio Neil Roque, Vice Governor Clive Quiño, Sangguniang Panlalawigan, Sangguniang Bayan, and the Baungon Municipal Police Station. – Rappler.com