The principal of Dauis Central Elementary School (DCES) explains that he only hoped Richli Water would agree to donate P80,000 to the school for its module production needs as the water company laid pipes near the school premises.
Dr. Desiderio Deligero, the chief of Schools Governance and Operations of the Department of Education (DepEd) Bohol division made the clarification on behalf of Vicente Salazar, the principal of DCES, in a radio interview on Friday, April 9, 2021, over Newsmakers ug Uban Pa hosted by Ardy Araneta-Batoy and Dave Albarado.
Deligero, who was commissioned by Division Superintendent Bianito Dagatan, to shed light on the matter said that he (Deligero) personally interviewed Salazar about the issue.
Newsmakers radio program first interviewed Dagatan when the broadcasters got the information from Richli Water that a certain amount is involved in the laying of water pipes near the primeses of DCES. The amount was mentioned in the letter sent by DCES to Richli Water.
Dagatan, who admitted that he didn’t know anything regarding the letter, requested Deligero to ask DCES some explanations regarding the amount mentioned in the letter sent by the school to Richli Water.
Deligero said that he was told by Salazar that the school administration of DCES only hoped that Richli Water would agree to the suggestion that the company will donate a certain amount of money to the school in connection with the Company’s laying of water pipes near the school premises.
The donation, the letter says, is in the amount of P80,000, computed by the school administration as enough for the purchase of reproduction machines and and other materials for the modules to be used by the learners.
Deligero further said that Richli Water has no obligation to pay DCES for laying pipes near the school premises. The letter only requested Richli Water for a donation of P80,000.
When asked by the broadcasters why the amount of P80,000 for the donation was specified, Deligero said it was the total amount of materials computed by the DCES administration. The same DepEd official bared that the school administration came up with the P80,000 sum because it is the total cost of the duplicating machines and materials that the school needs.
Deligero added that the DCES administration heard from a source that Richli Water is kind enough to donate an amount to lot owners if the laying of the water pipes would pass by the lot of said owners. Deligero said that a faculty member told the school’s administration that Richli paid P80,000 to a property owner whose lot was the subject of a pipe laying activity
Richli Water, when asked about the matter said that it offered the DCES administration a FREE installation/connection privilege of water pipes for the water supply so the teachers and students of DCES will benefit from the connection. Richli Water added that it is not really the Company’s practice to give lot owners any amount which the latter would request during the pipe laying activity as this will be exhorbitant and expensive to the company.
Deligero assured that the listeners of Newsmakers radio program during the interview that Richli Water may continue with the pipe laying without the need to pay any sum of money.
The issue stems from a letter from Salazar, asking Richli Water for P80,000 as the company laid pipes near the school vicinity affecting a waiting shed.
Richli Water president Ralph Miguel Lim respectfully declined the idea of giving the sum of money; instead, he came up with a counter proposal of providing free installation of the water service to the school.