NEWS BRIEFS

MCWD: enough water this summer

The Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) assured the public of reliable water supply despite rising temperatures this summer.

MCWD officials said a drop in water production of its main facility in Jaclupan, Talisay City would not have any impact on water supply in the service area.

MCWD is producing an average of 180,000 cubic meters (cu. m.) of water a day.

In the first quarter of this year, the average water consumption in MCWD’s service area was135,781 cu. m. per day.

“We expect a higher consumption and demand for May. But while there are areas where consumption goes up, there are also places where the demand goes down, like the university belts,” said MCWD Assistant General Manager for Operations Ernie Delco.

MCWD has 115 ground wells that produced an average of 149,266 cu. m. daily in March.

Private bulk water suppliers are augmenting MCWD’s supply with an average of 31,245 cubic meters per day in March, said MCWD Production Division Manager Genaro Mejor.

MCWD’s only surface water source, the 100-year-old Buhisan Dam, is producing an average of over 9,000 cubic meters daily or about five percent of MCWD’s water supply production.

“Although we have more than enough supply, we thought it is just wise to save water because there is lesser rainfall,” Mejor added./Correspondent Edison A. Delos Angeles

Mandaue has P90 Million for school lots, classrooms

Mandaue City is allocating about P50 million to buy land in four barangays while another P40 million has been allocated for the construction of school buildings.

Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes said the city already purchased 3,000 square meters (sq. m.) in barangay Tingub, where a two-story school building with 14 classrooms are being constructed for Tingub High School.

Cortes said the city government also bought a lot in barangay Banilad, and is working to acquire a fourth area in barangay Cubacob.

He said Mandaue plans to construct a two- to three-story school building in these areas to save on land acquisition cost.

Cortes said the new school buildings will be ready by 2013. /Correspondent Fe Marie D. Dumaboc

Baraquel: Proud to see a VISAYAN AIM FOR SENATE

Risa Hontiveros-Barquel, a former Liberal Party (LP) senatorial candidate, said she’s proud that a fellow Bisaya is running for the Senate in 2013.

“Masaya ako na more Visayans participate midterm-election (I am happy that more Visayans participate in the mid-term election,)” she said of Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia’s plan to run for senator.

Baraquel, who is based in Manila, said her father was from Aklan and Capiz, so she considers herself Bisaya as well.

The former three-term party-list representative of Akbayan finished 13th in the 2010 Senate race.

She said the administration party so far has 10 persons in their list of potential senate candidats.

Asked about the LP’s line-up in 2013, Baraquel said that the party will announce it in time for the October filing of certificates of candidacy.

She did not say she was in the list but expressed interest in running again. She said LP is watching closely the final lineup of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) of Vice president Jejomar Binay. /Correspondent Tweeny M. Malinao