MikeLigalig.com

By the Bohol Chronicle

The tourists’ haven of Panglao would finally get the potable water, as elusively pursued during the past decade due to political intramurals among its local officials.

This breakthrough came last Friday after the provincial leadership intervened to “rescue” the never ending debates on which waterworks utilities would serve the water requirements in the various beach resorts and the residences of this coastal municipality.

Gov. Erico Aumentado and Rep. Edgar Chatto took time to preside over a public consultation/hearing to resolve the deadlock on the water issue which dates back to the previous administration of then Panglao Mayor Doloreich Dumaluan.

The urgency to solve the water issue came as the construction of the proposed Panglao Bohol International Airport is slated to commence first quarter of next year.
The five-hour public consultation at the Panglao Island Community Center was attended by some 100 stakeholders including resort owners who expressed dismay on the delayed resolution of the water controversy.

In their efforts to prove attendees that they are also in search for the entry of a waterworks utilities, Panglao Mayor Benedicto Alcala and Vice Mayor Pedro Fuertes made an unprecedented move to convene a special session of the Sangguniang Bayan in the presence of the stakeholders who were eager to know the final decision to be reached by the warring political factions.

The public consultation paved the way to the holding of the special session where the town lawmakers were united, for the first time, to approve an open competitive bidding for whichever waterworks firms interested to serve Panglao especially with the forthcoming construction of an airport.

Provincial BM Ae Damalerio was appointed to moderate the public hearing.
Aumentado praised Alcala, Fuertes and the councilors for showing true statesmanship “by putting the interest of Panglao and its people first over and above their personal interests.”

Following the PowerPoint presentation of lawyer John Titus Vistal, provincial planning and development coordinator, that gave a choice between a competitive bidding or open access mode of implementing the waterworks system improvement, the choice of the stakeholders, the mayor and the SB gravitated towards competitive bidding.


Linkback: https://tubagbohol.mikeligalig.com/index.php?topic=14971.0