Daluz ‘confident’ with Cebu City acting mayor Garcia’s leadership

CEBU CITY, Philippines — To address the water crisis in Cebu City, Acting Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia is willing to “talk and sit down” with the officers in charge of the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD).

Garcia, who said this in a press conference on Monday, however said that he was not going to specify which board of directors he would be going to talk to and sit down with.

To recall, the pressing issue that the water district is still facing is its management. According to previous reports, three BOD members were dismissed by suspended Mayor Michael Rama for alleged graft and corruption.

These BODs were MCWD Chairman Jose Daluz III, along with Miguelito Pato, and Jodelyn Seno.

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Then, as the Local Water Utilities Authority (LWUA) was in the process of taking action for the dismissal, Rama appointed the replacement of the three BODs, namely Aristotle Batuhan, Nelson Yuvallos, and Melquiades Feliciano who took their oath during a press conference last October 31, 2023.

This matter has led the LWUA to step in. They assumed control over the MCWD which served as a significant step to resolve the long-standing issue as to who would manage the utility firm.

LWUA wrote a letter addressed to Daluz and Donoso, informing them of their takeover to the water district’s policy-making functions for six months starting March 15 this year.

“I am willing to talk and sit down to those who is in-charge. Di lang ta moingon og (we just won’t say) board 1, board 2, board 3, board 4, board 5, but I’m willing to sit down (with) who is ever in-charge, perhaps talk about it,” Garcia said.

 ‘Welcome news’

In a separate interview with Daluz on the same day, Daluz said that he was expecting that when Garcia referred to the MCWD, it would be the Daluz-led members.

Upon learning about the acting mayor’s statement, Daluz said that there would still be a lot of things to discuss concerning the water district with him.

“I’m very happy nga iyang namention nga he wants to discuss with MCWD about the water nato. That’s a very welcome news to us,” said Daluz.

(I’m very happy that he mentioned that he wanted to discuss with the the MCWD about our water. That’s a very welcome news to us.)

Among the matters that he would discuss with Garcia would be the excavation permits in the north mountain barangays. Daluz said that they would be expecting Garcia to approve the permit.

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‘Unacceptable’

Another concern he would raise to the acting mayor is the desalination projects.

“Coming naman to. If there are other permi

ts secured, I am very confident with the leadership of Mayor Raymond Garcia nga mututok gyud siya aning atong problema diha. I’m very confident and happy nga Mayor Raymond is now focused on MCWD,” Daluz said.

(That is coming. If there are other permits secured, I am very confident with the leadership of Mayor Raymond Garcia that he would focus on our problem there. I’m very confident and happy that Mayor Raymond is now focused on the MCWD.)

Daluz previously told CDN Digital that they aimed to have the desalination plant in Mambaling to be operational by May.

But like most big-ticket projects by the government, it also incurred multiple delays, and Daluz attributed this to bureaucracy.

Initially planned to be completed last March, Daluz disclosed that the contractor had requested to extend their deadline. Should the previous target be successful, the plant could have benefitted around 30,000 households.

Confident with Garcia’s leadership

Moreover, Daluz said that he was “one hundred percent” hopeful that the issue surrounding MCWD would be addressed under the leadership of Garcia.

“I am very confident with Mayor Raymond’s leadership sa diha sa City Hall and I’m very happy to know nga siya na’y naa diha,” Daluz said.

(I am very confident with Mayor Raymond’s leadership there at City Hall, and I’m very happy to know that he is there now.)

He added that Garcia “will listen” to them should they raise a concern involving the water district.

Daluz said he would be willing to collaborate with Garcia and clarified that the city government was not their primary problem.

“It’s just a few people there, si Mayor Mike, si [Atty.] Collin [Rosell], kani ra man sila. We are not against the city government. But now nga lain na ang naglingkod diha, nana si Mayor Raymond Garcia, I am very confident nga we can discuss matters, issues, MCWD and that I believe the mayor will listen to us,” Daluz said.

(It’s just a few people there, Mayor Mike, [Atty.] Collin [Rosell], these are just them. We are not against the city government. But now that it will be another one sitting there, there is now Mayor Raymond Garcia, I am very confident that we can discuss matters, issues, MCWD and that I believe the mayor will listen to us.)

“With Mayor Raymond sitting there, I am confident that we will have harmonious relations,” he added.

The water crisis was among the issues that Garcia wants to address sooner as he officially acts as the mayor of Cebu City. | with reports from Pia Piquero

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