Acting Cebu City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia, on Monday, May 27, officially signed MCWD’s pending excavation permits, which would benefit approximately 5,000 households in the mountain barangays in Cebu City. | Niña Mae Oliverio
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) will now be able to extend their services in the upland barangays in Cebu City.
On Monday, May 27, Acting Cebu City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia officially signed the pending excavation permits which would benefit the approximately 5,000 households in the mountain barangays in Cebu City.
The signing ceremony was attended by MCWD board members, including Chairman Lawyer Joey Daluz III, General Manager Edgar Donoso, Jodelyn Mae Seno, and Miguelito Pato.
These excavation permits for distribution lines had been pending at City Hall since March 2023.
READ: Excavation permits: MCWD execs hopeful these will be approved
“If this was signed last year, nag-agas na gyud unta ang mga mountain barangays,” Garcia said.
Garcia said he is looking forward for the results in six months.
“Resulta akong gigarantiya,” he said.
After the signing, Daluz expressed gratitude for Garcia’s administration’s support, particularly for signing permits that had been pending at City Hall for 14 months.
“In behalf of MCWD, mayor, salamat kaayo sa suporta nimo kanamo sa among endeavors because this is also your plan to provide water to our constituents,” Daluz said.
“For 50 years wala gyud silay na-tubig from MCWD. This time, kung mapirmahan na, naay construction period. After that, ready na man atong supply didto. Siguro akong tan-aw at least six months ang construction period,” MCWD’s Donoso also said in a previous interview.
Furthermore, Donoso said a change in the permit approval process. Initially, only the Technical Infrastructure Committee (TIC) handled approvals. However, it later included the signatory from the City Administrator’s Office, led by suspended City Administrator Collin Rosell.
As of May 14, only one of six excavation permits, for Barangay Pulangbato, was signed by Rosell.
The remaining permits were for barangays Binaliw, Cambinocot, Guba, Busay, and Agsungot.
After signing the permits, Donoso said that MCWD would issue a notice to proceed the following day, initiating excavation works. /clorenciana
READ: Acting Cebu water board director denied entry amid power row