City officials reiterated Resolution No. 644, series of 2022 granting amnesty to the applicants for water supply connections of long-time residents inside watersheds in the different parts of the city.
Further, Resolution No. 178, series of 2023 authorized the Baguio Water District (BWD) to grant pending applications only as long as they are qualified on all other requirements that have been imposed for the said purpose.
Local legislators stated that in the light of the letter of BWD general manager Engr. Salvador M. Royeca and Pinget punong barangay Pablo S. Pawe, Jr. and considering the existing city council Resolution No. 644, series of 20222, the Committee on Public Utilities, Transportation and Traffic Legislation in its amended committee report recommended to reiterate that those who are named as beneficiaries in the aforesaid resolution be granted water services despite the fact that they are included or they are within the supposed protected areas or watershed reservations.
Earlier, the council passed Resolution No. 644, series of 2022 that granted amnesty to applicants for water supply connections of long-time residents inside watersheds in the city and authorizing the BWD to grant pending applications only as long as they are qualified on all other requirements.
Royeca requested a definitive statement as to BWD’s scope of authority congruent with an ordinance prohibiting the installation of water and electric connections within the watershed, military and forest reserves.
On the other hand, Pawe submitted comments to Royeca’s letter dated January 31, 2023 requesting clarifications if the authority granted to BWD in the aforesaid resolution may be carried out without legal implications.
In the past, the council had been approving legislative measures grating amnesty to water and electrical service connections to long-time residents of the city to allow them to avail of such basic services without prejudice of their status in the lands that they currently occupy.
