CEBU CITY, Philippines — Lawyers Marino Martinquilla and Rory Jon Sepulveda will be the Capitol’s representatives in the Joint Investment Agreement (JIA) between the provincial government and Manila Water Consortium for the development of a bulk-water production system in Carmen town, northern Cebu.
On Monday’s session, the Provincial Board has confirmed Governor Gwendolyn Garcia’s appointment of Martinquilla and Sepulveda as Capitol representatives in the JIA.
The JIA was entered into by the province during Garcia’s earlier stint as governor in 2012. It has a 49-51 percent profit-sharing scheme, in favor of the private partner, for the development of the bulk water production facility which will be sourced from Carmen’s Luyang River.
The P1.1-billion partnership of the province and Manila Water Consortium is seen to augment Cebu’s daily water supply of 35 million liters more.
As representatives of the province, Sepulveda and Martinquilla will sit in the 5-member Board of Directors of the Cebu Manila Water Development Corporation.
Under the terms of the JIA, Manila Water Consortium and Cebu province will have two board members each while a fifth member, who is neutral to both parties, will be chosen with the agreement of the province and the consortium.
Read more: Garcia’s solution to Metro Cebu’s water woes: Tap south Cebu waterfalls, rivers
Garcia, after her election as Cebu governor in May 2019, said addressing the water supply woes in Cebu would be one of her administration’s top priority.
Garcia earlier said the existing partnership between the provincial government and Manila Water may also be replicated in the south, she said./dbs