The 21st City Council voted 13 in favor with three abstentions to pass a resolution asking both the National Water Board and the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) to investigate the operations of Cagayan de Oro City’s contracted bulk water supplier.

The resolution stemmed from a special report by Councilor Enrico Salcedo during Monday afternoon’s (Sept. 8 ) regular session. Salcedo said he called for the investigation in light of reports that the Cagayan de Oro Water District (COWD) plans to raise their water rates to their consumers in the city.

Salcedo, who chairs the council’s committee on public utilities, recounted last year’s water supply crisis caused by the contractual dispute between COWD and COBI which affected more than 30,000 of the city’s households.

Under the existing supply contract between COWD and COBI, the water district will impose nearly a P4 water increase every three years. COWD and COBI entered into their contract in 2017 but a change in management at COWD resulted in the water district contesting the water rate increase.

A task force created by virtue of an executive order by Mayor Rolando ‘Klarex’ Uy last year that was co-chaired by Councilor Edgar Cabanlas to address the water supply crisis called for the revocation of the COWD-COBI contract—a position that Salcedo said should be pursued./Text by SC with CIO file photo by Jomar Figuracion