ITOGON, Benguet – The municipal government wants companies intending to exploit, develop and utilize the town’s rich resources to first provide for the needs of the municipality before sharing the same with neighboring communities.
Mayor Bernard S. Waclin stated that for companies wanting to look for sources of potable water in the municipality, such firms must first provide the water needs of the people in the municipality before planning to sell the water to outside the locality.
He pointed out the need for the town’s water system to be in place before it will be overtaken by the continuous increase in population so that residents can enjoy sufficient locally-sourced supply of water.
The municipal chief executive claimed there are potential sources of potable water in the some parts of the municipality but the local government does not want these to be exploited and developed for the needs of nearby Baguio city as the people of Itogon should be supplied first before being sold to outsiders .
According to him, there were companies who attempted to source potable water supply from the municipality but the bulk water agreement with the Baguio Water District (BWD) did not push through because of alleged issues on the presence of toxic substances due to the chemicals used in the mining operations that reportedly contaminated the water table, among others.
At present, Itogon maintains a local water district but it is not yet in full operation because of various issues besetting the potential sources and distribution of water to the communities within the municipality.
Mayor Waclin underscored there will be no way by which interested developers will be able to pump out the water supply from the municipality without the expressed consent of the indigenous peoples and the municipal government and until such time that the water needs of the people shall have been sufficiently addressed.
Itogon is being eyed by companies wanting to operate a bulk water supply project as one of the possible sources of potable water for the growing population of Baguio city.
He emphasized that the basic needs of the people of Itogon should first be addressed by potential developers before pumping out the water out of the municipality to other jurisdictions.
Waclin explained that this position of the municipal government is in line with the program on providing appropriate and practical solutions to the pressing problems of the municipality before even thinking of allowing the town’s resources to be exploited, developed and utilized and even moved out of the locality without the people benefitting from their usage.
Under the law, companies intending to exploit, develop and utilize the town’s rich resources must first secure the free and prior informed consent of the affected indigenous peoples whose ancestral domains the resources are located. By Dexter A. See