By VICTOR L. TAMBIS

Bohol Water Utilities, Inc. (BWUI) will celebrate its 24th Anniversary on August 28, 2024.

Highlighting the occasion are synchronized tree planting activities to be held at Barangay Fatima, Cortes and Barangay Catarman, Dauis.

A total of 424 seedlings of different varieties of fruit trees will be planted by employees at the two locations.

These activities are part of Bohol Water’s commitment to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) program, which aims to promote and maintain watershed areas.

As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), tree planting is a regular quarterly activity of the Company.

Aside from tree planting, Bohol Water has been actively participating in coastal clean-up activities spearheaded by the DENR. This year alone, BWUI has participated four times, with the latest being the coastal clean-up along Mansasa seaside held on July 20, 2024.

On the anniversary day (August 28), Bohol Water will also distribute giveaways to the first 200 customers who transact or pay their water bills at the payment area of the BWUI office, Bantol St, Dampas, Tagbilaran City.

It may be recalled that on December 28, 2000, Bohol Water took over the operation of the waterworks system from the then Provincial Waterworks System (PWS) of the Provincial Government of Bohol (PGB) by virtue of the Joint Venture Agreement (JVA) executed on August 28, 2000 between the PGB and the Salcon Consortium.

Over the past 24 years of operation, Bohol Water has improved the system, including: (1) Revamping, upgrading, and extending its piping network; (2) Establishing additional production wells and upgrading the capacities of existing wells; (3) Extending service areas; (4) Adding reservoirs/storage facilities; (5) Acquiring 13 generator sets of various capacities; (6) Acquiring two water trucks, and implementing other system improvements primarily aimed at achieving efficient water services for customers.

Bohol Water has also reduced and maintained its system losses from above 40% at the start of its operation to as low as 13% as of August 15, 2024.

The company aims to reduce this further through the intensive implementation of its Non-Revenue Water Reduction (NRWR) program.