The row between the towns of Balilihan and Sevilla reached an impasse following a consultative meeting on Aug. 17, 2022.
As it is, the structures placed by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in relation to the construction of the centralized bulk water supply of Balilihan stay for now until the issue on the cancellation of the conditional water permit gets finally resolved by the National Water Resources Board (NWRB).
Earlier, the town government of Sevilla demanded the removal of such structures which the town claims were placed within its jurisdiction without proper permission.
This was the disclosure of Balilihan councilor Lorenzo “Jun” Baliong in a radio interview on Aug. 19, 2022 over Newsmakers Ug Uban Pa hosted by Dave Albarado.
Baliong said that the way he grasps the situation, the town government of Sevilla agrees for a status quo by letting the structures for the Balilihan waterworks stay for now, at least, until the issue on the conditional water permit (CWP) of Balilihan is finally resolved.
BACKGROUND
A delegation composed of Mayor Pureza Veloso-Chatto, Vice Mayor Trisha Chatto, Sangguniang Bayan of Balilihan members, and department heads went to Sevilla for a consultative meeting with officials of the said town headed by Sevilla mayor Juliet Dano, Baliong narrated during the interview.
The purpose of the meeting was to seek a common ground to resolve any issues concerning the two local government units (LGU) in relation to the centralized bulk water project of Balilihan.
It can be recalled that the town of Balilihan crafted a centralized bulk water project with the aim of bringing water to all barangays of the town.
The P90-million project is funded by the national government and implemented by the DPWH.
To enable Balilihan to draw water from a source, which is Bugwak Spring, it applied for a water right and subsequently was granted a CWP by the NWRB.
The CWP of Balilihan, on June 2, 2022, was cancelled by the NWRB for the reason that the diversion point placed in the water permit application was wrong. Balilihan received information from the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) saying that the diversion point of Bugwak Spring is in barangay Sto. Niño, Balilihan.
However, following an ocular inspection, the NWRB determined that the diversion point is located in barangay Magsaysay, Sevilla.
As this developed, the LGU of Balilihan filed a motion for reconsideration in relation to the NWRB’s decision to canceling the Balilihan CWP.
Yet, Mayor Chatto received a letter from Dir. Sevillo David of the NWRB saying the
CWP of Balilihan “remains as such”, meaning it was still valid and not cancelled.
Then, here came the LGU of Sevilla, exerting its “political sovereignty” over the structures placed by the DPWH in relation to the waterworks project of Balilihan.
The structures involve a platform and the temporary pipes at Bugwak Spring, that Sevilla town claims are placed within its jurisdiction.
In fact, there are reports saying that Mayor Dano demands, via a letter, the removal of the structures purportedly placed within the jurisdiction of Sevilla.
“Ang gusto gyud sa Sevilla is proteksyonan ang ilang sovereignty kon claim nga side gyud sa barangay Magsaysay, Sevilla, Bohol ang maong location sa Bugwak Spring nga mao ang hmungdan sa maong issue,” Baliong narrated in the interview.
After the meeting, Baliong said the two LGUs agreed to let the structures remain for now until the NWRB resolves the CWP’s status whether or not it is indeed cancelled.
Baliong, the chair of the Committee on Waterworks at the SB of Balilihan, said that the team from his town apologized to the leadership of Sevilla if there are any lapses made by the LGU Balilihan that offended the LGU of Sevilla.
The team from Balilihan implored the team from Sevilla to look past the legalities and to consider the situation via the lens of the humanitarian consideration, Baliong said during the interview.
The LGU of Balilihan remains hopeful that the NWRB acts favorably on their motion for reconsideration so that the people of Balilihan can finally look forward to getting realize a stable water supply coming from the town’s centralized bulk water supply project, Baliong quipped.