New team eyed to review South Road Properties water supply proposal

CEBU, Philippines – Cebu City acting Mayor Michael Rama is expected to sign this week the creation of a new Joint Venture Selection Committee which will go over the unsolicited proposal of Pilipinas Water Resources Inc. for the supply of water to the entire South Road Properties.

City administrator Francisco Fernandez said that the document creating the JVSC for PWRI is already on the table of Rama waiting for his signature.

Included in the creation of JVSC is its composition which according to Fernandez will still be composed of members of the former JVSC who dealt with the P25-billion proposal of Filinvest Land, Inc.



Fernandez was the chairman of the JVSC dealing with FLI. The latter will already render the down payment worth P338 million to the city government.

According to the unsolicited offer submitted by Antonio Tompar of PWRI, the city will be paid P10 for every cubic meter of water generated and distributed from the city’s existing desalination plant and P5 per cubic meter from any new desalination plant.

The rate of P1.50 for every cubic meter will be paid for non-potable, P5 per cubic meter for sewage treated water from existing facility and P2.50 from the new sewage facility.

Its key components include commissioning and operation of the city’s desalination plant, operation of the city’s sewage treatment plant, provision of necessary water structures, and connection and metering.

The existing desalination plant, which has not been operated commercially since its construction in 2000, has a capacity of about 650 cubic meters of potable water daily.

Its capacity is intended for the demand of the administration building and the first locator of Pond F.

The necessary water structures they assured to construct include a reservoir, additional waster supply, additional sewage treatment, additional potable water distribution system, additional non-potable water and fire hydrants.

The joint venture will cover 25 years and is renewable every 10 years.

Fernandez said that just like the FLI, after the composition of the JVSC will follow the crafting of the terms of reference followed by the publication of notice to interested parties to qualify and submit their respective competitive challenge.

Meanwhile, the Memorandum of Agreement for the electric supply to SRP by the Visayan Electric Company is already up for discussion in the City Council this Wednesday.

FLI has already scheduled first-phase developments on both the 10.6-hectare outright purchase and the 40 hectares under joint venture. — Ferliza C. Contratista/MEEV (THE FREEMAN)