黑料社

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY 鈥� The Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) has extended, yet again, the interim management it installed in the cash-strapped Cagayan de Oro City Water District (COWD).

According to COWD interim general manager Fermin Jarales, they were informed of the LWUA board鈥檚 decision on Tuesday.

Jarales told journalists during Wednesday鈥檚 鈥淢eet the Press at SM Downtown Premiere鈥� by the Cagayan de Oro Press Club that the extension of their mandate is from March 1 to August 31 this year, or six months.

LWUA took over the management of COWD on May 29, 2024, two weeks after President Marcos told the agency to study such a possibility to address the water crisis in the city.

But the move met stiff resistance, with almost daily protest actions to bar the entry of Jarales and the interim board members into the COWD building. They were only able to hold office around September last year.

LWUA first extended the interim management鈥檚 stay last December, for three months.

鈥淲e defer to LWUA鈥檚 wisdom on this matter. We are LWUA鈥檚 foot soldiers here, implementing a mandate to provide sustainable solutions to the city鈥檚 water crisis,鈥� Jarales said.

Earlier, Jarales had described COWD, the country鈥檚 first water district, as 鈥渙n the edge of a financial abyss鈥� due to poor collection efficiency and revenue loss because of water wastage over a long period.

On Wednesday, Jarales debunked as 鈥渕isinformation鈥� the claims circulating in mainstream and social media that COWD has increased its water rates to finance its stiff investment requirements.

鈥淚t is just sad that a city councilor who seeks reelection is among those peddling such a lie,鈥� Jarales lamented.