New MCWD acting general manager appointed by LWUA

Facade of MCWD building in Cebu City. | CDN Digital File Photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — A new officer-in-charge general manager (OIC GM) in the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) has been appointed.

On Monday, April 22, the interim board of the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA), has chosen Joselito Thomas Baena, a lawyer, to be the MCWD’s OIC GM, replacing lawyer John Dx Lapid who recently resigned from his appointment.

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In a report by Cebu City News, the interim board of LWUA reiterated that MCWD GM Edgar Donoso remains under ‘preventive suspension’ for 90 days.

Donoso was suspended last April 12 for defying the interim board’s directives, especially those that were related to MCWD’s transactions.

Following his appointment, Baena shared with CDN Digital over a phone interview some of his plans as the OIC GM.

“As caretaker, dako kaayo na ang problema nga atong giatubang. [We’re] in the middle of the water crisis and daghan kaayo’g mga issues, so dili na nako kaya on my own. And the plan is to start a dialogue with all the stakeholders and direct the focus of everyone into what steps we can do to mitigate the effects of El Niño,” he said.

(As caretaker, the problems we are facing are really huge. [We’re] in the middle of the water crisis and we have really many issues, so I cannot solve them on my own. And the plan is to start a dialogue with all the stakeholders and direct the focus of everyone into what steps we can do to mitigate the effects of El Niño.)

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Baena added that he would also look into the plans on how they could assist the individuals on the frontline, the barangay workers, and the MCWD and its personnel.

“There should be a paradigm shift na our focus should be more on important problems. Unsa ma’y atong mabuhat nga naa ta’y tubig? That’s the question that we should all try to figure out kung unsaon,” Baena said.

(There should be a paradigm shift where our focus should be more on important problems. What can we do that we can have water? That’s the question that we should all try to figure out how to do.)

When asked why he accepted the appointment as the OIC-GM, Baena said that he was willing to take part in providing measures to mitigate the effects of El Niño, after observing that almost everyone’s focus was on the “struggle of control in the boardroom.”

“Relatively, batan-on pa man ta, we have fresh ideas. We are not privy [to] whatever it is nga naa’y mga [issue] dinha. Ang atoa is we bring a new paradigm energy and ato ning sulbaron kay usa ra man ta ka community. Ato ning sulbaron. Tinabangay ra gud,” Baena said.

(Relatively, we are still young, we have fresh ideas. We are not privy [to] whatever it is that we have [issues] there. What we can bring is a new paradigm energy and we will try to solve [the problems] because we are just a community. We will solve them. We should help each other.)

Prior to his appointment, Baena clarified that he was not an employee of MCWD and that his appointment was effective until the ‘preventive suspension’ of Donoso would end.

Baena said that at present, he would help run a law firm in Cebu City.

“As to the merits of the appointment, wala ko kahibawo og unsa’y ilahang decision-making nga nahitabo. Basta gipangutana ko if I’m up to the task,” Baena said.

(As to the merits of the appointment, I don’t know what their decision-making that would happen. It’s just that I was asked if I’m up to the task.)

He admitted that he was reluctant at first but later believed that something had to be done to address the concerns in MCWD, hence accepting the appointment.

“When the interim board asked me to be caretaker, I said, ‘Sige(I agree) okay. Let’s do something bisag ginagmay lang (even if it’s just a small thing). We make the celebration better,’” Baena added.