SHEILA Lumbatan, Chief of Staff for the City Mayor's Office, announced on Thursday that consumers of the Cagayan de Oro City Water District (COWD) can now be at ease as the looming water shortage has been successfully avoided.
This welcome development follows Mayor Rolando "Klarex" Uy's effective arbitration in a row involving the COWD and its principal water supplier, COBI, Inc.
"The mayor stepped in out of a genuine concern for the inhabitants of the city," said Lumbatan.
In the interest of consumers, Mayor Uy called upon COBI, Inc., a Metro Pacific enterprise, to settle the COWD's financial dues, which surpassed P400 million, and seek a solution.
Then, Andrew Pangilinan, the Vice President of COBI, agreed with the mayor and showed that they were making progress in fixing the problem.
Moreover, Mayor Uy stressed the necessity for cooperation between the COWD and COBI, Inc.
He appealed to both parties to collaborate on rehabilitating the local water system, currently plagued by extensive systems loss or non-revenue water, estimated at about 60%.
Lumbatan mentioned that the mayor's goal, by encouraging collaboration and united action, is to enhance the water system's efficiency and efficacy, to the benefit of Cagayan de Oro City's inhabitants.
Solving the argument and the promise from both the COWD and COBI, Inc. to deal with the problems has made people hopeful for a stronger and lasting water supply for the city.
Mayor Uy's hands-on strategy and his commitment to the community's interests have played a crucial role in reaching this favorable result, according to Lumbatan.
With these developments, the city's residents can anticipate a more dependable water supply as local officials and water utilities persist in improving the water infrastructure and securing the welfare of Cagayan de Oro City's populace.
