Bacolod Group Urges Petition to Nullify Water Deal

By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD CITY – Water Watch Advocates (WWA) convenor Wennie Sancho has urged Bacolod residents to sign a petition calling for the nullification of the Joint Venture Agreement (JVA) between the Bacolod City Water District (BACIWA) and PrimeWater, a private firm owned by the Villar family.

In an open letter released Sunday, Sancho said the city’s worsening water crisis stems from the JVA.

“We are deeply concerned about the worsening water crisis that threatens the city, and the root cause of this problem lies in the Joint Venture Agreement between BACIWA and PrimeWater,” he said.

Sancho said the WWA has been pushing for the revocation of the deal due to its negative impact on the community.

He also said the agreement was approved by the BACIWA board without public consultation, which he claimed violated citizens’ constitutional right to information on matters of public concern, citing Article 3, Section 7 of the Bill of Rights.

The lack of transparency and accountability, he added, has led to a situation where public interest is being sacrificed for private gain.

“We are now appealing to you, our fellow citizens, to sign our petition for the revocation of the JVA,” he said.

By doing so, Sancho added, “you will be joining us in our fight for a more transparent, accountable and people-centric water management system.”

Sancho also called on the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) of Bacolod City to hold a public hearing on the matter, as the group has previously requested.

“It is imperative that our elected officials listen to the voices of the people and take concrete actions to address our concerns,” he said.

He called the JVA a betrayal of public trust, describing it as “a stark reminder that our silence can be bought and sold.”

“But we will not be silenced,” he said.

“We will not be defeated.”

Sancho urged water consumers to “join us in this crusade, and together let us reclaim our rights, our resources and our future.”

“Sign the petition and join us in this noble cause,” he added.