Two executive offices of government are being closely watched by residents of Sevilla and Balilihan towns of Bohol in connection with the P95-million water project being undertaken by the Department of Public Works and Highways, but which do not have an environmental clearance certificate to extract water from a spring in Sevilla at 20 times more than the actual requirements for water of Balilihan.
Columnist Jake Maderazo said the residents of Sevilla last week asked the DENR Secretary Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga to stop Balilihan from proceeding with a waterworks project in Sevilla’s territory.
The local government of Balilihan asked NWRB to allow it to draw water from a spring and construct a water supply system for its residents. The NWRB issued Conditional Water Permit No. 01-22-20-008 allowing the municipal government to build its piping system in Barangay Sto. Niño, Balilihan.
The trouble began when actual construction, laying of pipes and water extraction were allegedly done across the river from Bugwak Spring in Barangay Magsaysay, Sevilla. The project, official records showed, worth P95-million is funded by the General Appropriations Act of 2020 and implemented by the DPWH.
The installation prompted residents and concerned citizens to complain to their mayor about the illegal construction. They said, among others, that they were not informed of the project nor were they given advance notice, as required by law.
Sevilla residents said Yulo-Loyzaga has an open-and-shut case before her. They said the Balilihan water project in their town is patently illegal because it doesn’t have a barangay clearance from Magsaysay, a requirement to get an ECC. There is likewise no building permit for the project.
Sevilla residents are fuming that their neighboring town is allegedly using the supposed NWRB permit to extract nearly 20,000 cubic meters per day, or 20 times the daily water needs of Balilihan residents.
While access to clean drinking water is considered by the United Nations as a fundamental human right, the issue is not simply about access but strict adherence to rules, Maderazo said.
The question remains whether Balilihan can construct water facilities and install water pipes in Sevilla even if the NWRB only gave Balilihan permit to extract water from a spring within its boundaries.
This controversy is being tightly monitored since the two municipalities and their neighboring towns could be affected by her and NWRB’s decision. Residents of Sevilla inconvenienced by the project expect the decision to be fair, eco-friendly, and sustainable.
The NWRB and DENR must get all parties to the negotiation table to settle their differences amicably within the bounds of the law. After all, every Boholano whether from Sevilla or Balilihan deserves to partake of nature’s gift of clean water.