WATERPOINT October-December 2011 Issue - LWUA

The New WaterPoint 4th Issue 20113Table of Contents3CABAGANWATERDISTRICT:Where Stepping Up MeansStepping DownCCWD’s SeptageManagement Project710Malacanan EO 62Hagonoy WaterDistrict Rises AbovePedring’s Floods12Revisiting Binmaley Water District:The Quest For ExcellenceContinuesThe is a quarterlypublication of the Local WaterUtilities Administration, producedby the Public Affairs Departmentwith editorial office located at the3/F LWUA Bldg. Katipunan Road,Balara, Q.C. Tel. Nos.: 9294526;9205581 to 99 locals 333, 311and 355Board of TrusteesRene VillaAntonieta Fortuna-IbeEngr. Eduardo SantosCarlos Primo David2 The New WaterPoint 4th Issue 2011ManagementSalvador C. NerActing AdministratorEmmanuel B. MalicdemSr. Deputy AdministratorManolo A. KagahastianActing Deputy Administrator,Investment & Financial ServicesEdwin T. RuizActing Deputy Administrator,Area Operations ServicesRebecca C. BarboActing Deputy Administrator,Administrative Services2218 Heart-to-Art26Man Cannot LiveWithout WaterEditorial StaffAntonio B. MagtibayEditorial AdviserTeodoro M. ReynosoEditorVictor D. AlertaAssociate EditorJun P. Icban IIIArt, Design & Lay-outVivian B. RanjoEditorial AssistantRey M. VidaEdgar L. AnicetoPhotographyJosie L. OberioGerry PeruCirculationVisit us at:www.lwua.gov.phThere’s a saying, “When the goinggets tough, the tough gets going”.In the case of Cabagan WaterDistrict (CWD) for more than two years now,its different. The axiom seems to be: “Whenthe occasion calls for some stepping up,someone has to step down to make thathappen”.For sure, the CWD is not the first waterdistrict to essay that novel move but there’s moreups and downs and twists and turns to it, (like inthe making and eating of the Isabela town’sfamous rich and delectable Pancit Cabagan)than have been seen in others.Indeed, since its last appointedgeneral manager, Candido Calata, Jr. left in2008, the CWD Board of Directors has had toappoint two gentle ladies at that, from itsnumbers to one after the other take the cudgelsof managing and steering the water districtthrough some difficult and challenging times.First to temporarily leave the job ofpolicy-making to directly take the managementbull by the horn so to speak was director EstherAntonio, a teacher by education and profession,who is now Chair of the CWD Board. MadamAntonio served as OIC general manager fortwo years, 2009-2010 and was instrumental inlaying down the foundations of the water district’srecovery.The current OIC general manager,Madam Julieta Tupaz, ( originally representingthe professional sector in the CWD Board ), alsoan educator with post-graduate teaching stintsat the Isabela State University (ISU) willcomplete his one year stint by the end of thisCABAGAN WATER DISTRICT:Where Stepping Up MeansStepping Downby Teodoro M. Reynoso, WP Editor

The New WaterPoint 4th Issue 20117GM Tupaz was very proud to report her other achievements thus far inher own “tour of duty”, so to speak, to wit:Increase in the total number of service connections to 3,031as of the end of October 2011 and expansion of service to a total of 15barangays, including two in the neighboring town of San Pablo, plusprovision for expansion to five additional barangays in Cabagan, availabilityof funds permitting.Realization of net savings of P1.7 million from its latestcompleted major water supply project as explained above.Capital investments for improvement of water quality involvingacquisition of metering dosing pump for the shift to the use of chlorinedioxide to treat a water source with higher than normal iron and manganesecontents; purchase of materials for water supply expansion; officeequipment, furnitures and fixtures, water meters and service motorcycleamounting to a combined P700,000.Approval of its new water rates as explained above.Improvement in collection efficiency through special promoslike the ongoing “Handog Pamasko” raffle that encourages on-time paymentof water bills.Updating of employees contributions to the GSIS andworking for the condoning of penalties for non-payment of premium for theyears 2006-2007.Continuous human resource and staff development includingthe hiring of additional job order contract employees and the increase intheir daily wage from P200 to P250, classification of two employees intopermanent status, training of four employees in disbursing function andgovernment auditing and accounting, strategic human resourcemanagement and water safety planning and the undergoing of all employeesto Lakbay Aral training in Baguio City and the Ilocos region. CWD will soonbe granted accreditation by the Civil Service Commission (CSC) onpersonnel matters.Physical face-lifting of the CWD office including theconstruction of a secured stock room and the provision of space forcustomer lounging/waiting area. The CWD office is still occupying an allottedspace in the Cabagan Sports Center but it has assumed a moreprofessional, business-like corporate look with a very obvious lady’s touchTo be sure, CWD is still far from attaining the ideal reached byother former small water districts who has progressed to become amongthe bigger, more viable water districts in the country since the start of theLWUA-Water District system and concept of provincial water supplydevelopment and management.But with many of its major problems that bedeviled pastadministrations and stunted its growth almost behind it now and the gainsattained under the past two caretaker managements highlighted by thesuccessful implementation and completion as well as operation of its newlycompletedLWUA-assisted improvement and expansion project, perhapsit is safe to say that the Cabagan Water District is now back on trackand headed for more developments in the years to come. CWD isnow even being considered for upward re-categorization from itscurrent status as still a small water district.The immediate challenge, as far as OIC GM Juliet Tupaz isconcerned however Is for her anointed, whoever eventually he or shemay be, to step up and rise up to the duties, responsibilities andaccountabilities of a regular general manager who will enjoy her andthe Board’s full trust and confidence and share their developmentvisions and plans for the Cabagan Water District in the years tocome.By that time, there will definitely be no more need for any of theBoard members to step down so that the CWD could step up to its mandateof providing adequate and safe potable water to the Cabaguenos.Whoever they are and wherever they may be in the sultry townof Cabagan, Isabela. Or whether they like their Pancit Cabagan semidryor watery. saucy with generous sprinkling of chicharon baboy orIlocano bagnet to go with the assorted sautéed veggies on top.CCWD’s SeptageManagement Projectby May R. BalingitSafeguarding our water sources and the health of every Filipino Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) regarding wasteis the primary driving force why Republic Act 9275, otherwise known as management particularly septage management.Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004, was enacted into law.Septage management is the regular desludging or cleaning ofWhat is this Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004 and what does it septic tanks on a scheduled basis.According to the Department of Healthhave to do with the operations of water districts nationwide and in particular (DOH), the contents of the septic tank need to be siphoned out once everythe Cabanatuan City Water District being the sole water service provider in three to five years or when the tank is half full of sludge. SeptageCabanatuan City.management entails proper treatment of septage to kill pathogens whichThe Clean Water Act of 2004 aims to provide the framework for cause diseases, and proper disposal of by-products to prevent pollution ofwater quality management on the national level while the water districts like water and land. There is really a need to desludge septic tanks on aCCWD will be one of the implementing agencies to ensure the sustainable scheduled basis.abatement of water pollution. Simply put, the CCWD as mandated by theHow the septic Tank WorksPhilippine Clean Water Act of 2004 will help in putting into place the programsAssuming all septic tanks have proper design ( sealed bottom,and projects of the law’s lead implementing agency, the Department of two chambered, with proper plumbing ), this is how they work:6 The New WaterPoint 4th Issue 2011

8 The New WaterPoint 4th Issue 2011Wastewater enters the first chamber of the tank, allowing solidsto settle and scum to float. The settled solids are anaerobically digested,reducing the volume of solids. The Liquid component flows through thedividing wall into the second chamber where further settlement takes place,with the excess liquid then draining in a relatively clear condition from theoutlet into the leach field, also referred to as a drain field or seepage field,depending upon locality.Sewage entering the septic tank is mainly liquid waste containingsome solids produced by humans which typically consist of washingwater, feces, urine, laundry wastes and other materials that flow downdrains and toilets from households and other buildings. Scum is the lighterfraction of sewage composed of fats and grease that floats while sludge isthe precipitated solid matter with highly mineralized content produced bydomestic wastewater treatment processes.When the settled solids or sludge gradually fill the tank, the septictank’s efficiency in providing primary treatment on the septage decreases.This will cause the raw septage to drain directly into the street canals. Asidefrom the foul odor, this could also cause diseases when a person comesto contact with it. Clogging of toilet bowls and backflows of sewage couldalso happen.These will be the scenarios for households while for theCabanatuan City Water District, this could lead to a lot of problems.Theuntreated or raw septage will seep into the soil and could contaminate oursources of waterCCWD and Septage Management/TreatmentThis is the reason why the Cabanatuan City Water District, morethan complying with the Clean Water Act for the implementation of a septagemanagement program, has included among its priority projects theconstruction of a Septage Treatment Plant in order to prevent the watercontamination at source in the long term.The CCWD has resorted to the use of shallow wells as one of themajor supply and production sources for the water it delivers to the city.Even though the water produced or pumped out of these shallow wellsundergo filtration process thereby removing suspended particulates,colloidal materials and even bacteria at low pressure process, it is alwaysbetter to be safe than sorry and that prevention is better than cure.USAID Program on Septage Management Training, Capacity-BuildingWith the enactment of the Clean Water Act and the need of everywater district relying on groundwater to protect their water sources, theUnited States Agency for International Development (USAID) PhilippineSanitation Alliance (PSA) and the USAID Philppine Water revolving FundSupport Program (PWRFSP) organized the Philippine Multiple RecipientWater Operators Partnership: replicating Best Practices in SeptageManagement which aims to develop the competency of five water districts,namely: Cabanatuan City, Baliuag, Metro cebu, Laguna and Calamba inoperating and managing septage management programs in their serviceareas.Maynilad Water Services, Inc. (Maynilad) and the Indah WaterKonsortium SDn Bhd (IWK) of Malaysia serve as mentors in the WaterOperators Partnership (WOP). Maynilad is the water and wastewaterservice provider for 17 cities and municipalities that comprise the westzone of the greater Metro Manila concession area. Indah Water, a whollyownedcompany of the Minister of Finance Incorporated, is Malaysia’snational sewerage company which has been entrusted with the task ofdeveloping and maintaining a modern and efficient sewerage system forall Malaysians. Both mentors are tasked to build the capability of WOPs indeveloping and implementing septage management programs by usingpractical lessons and sharing their knowledge and experiences in septagemanagement.WOPs TrainingThe water operators and mentors took turns in hosting thetraining. The kickoff workshop and orientation on septage treatment systemswas held at the IWK headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia onNovember 9-10, 2010 which was attended by key personnel of the fivewater districts.Maynilad hosted the first training in January 2011 focusing onthe sizing of facility using toolkit, conceptual design and programmingcycles. The second training was held in Baliuag Water District in April2011 and among the topics discussed were detailed engineering design,technology selection and procurement, private sector participation publicprivatepartnership and outsourcing.Cabanatuan City Water District hosted the third training last June13-16, 2011 and the mentors discussed developing collection strategies,data bases and record keeping. The fourth training will deal on onsitetraining in treatment system operations and maintenance. The fifth trainingwill deal on septic management and operation and maintenance; and thelast training will be on commissioning, testing machinery and equipment,operators’training and certification.The assistance of facilitators and mentors play a major role inthe development of septage management project of the WOPs. But thesuccess ful and sustainable implementation of the project will also dependlargely in the cooperation of the local government units and the waterdistrict concessionaires.Vital Roles of the LGU, ConcessionairesSome local government units have already extended their helpto their counterpart water districts by passing ordinance regarding septagemanagement. The ordinance requires households to have their septictanks desludged periodically and construct septic tanks in accordancewith the sanitation codes.The CCWD has requested the city government for a similarordinance early this year but the same is still pending in the city council.AS early as December 2008, a feasibility study for infrastructuredevelopment has been developed by the CCWD with the help of the PWRF.The Phse 1 recommendations for septage management project will meetthe requirements up to the year 2015. This means the construction of a 50million cubic liter per day capacity, fully mechanized system septagetreatment plant and the procurement of two units 10M3 vacuum trucks forseptage collection.Estimated Phase 1 CAPEX cost is P64.65 Million.How will CCWD recover the cost of investment? Based onpresent rate, an environmental fee in the amount of 5 percent of basic watercharge will cover the cost of septage management project. For example,a household with an average water consumption of 30 cubic meters permonth will pay P23 per month for environmental fees. Probably someconcessionaire will balk at this environmental fee but they should considerthe program’s benefits most of all its impact on assuring water quality,improving the health and sanitation condition and preserving theenvironment. They would realize that it is such a low price to pay for sucha high reward.The New WaterPoint 4th Issue 20119

The New WaterPoint 4th Issue 201111MALACAÑAN PALACEManilaBY THE PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINESEXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 62TRANSFERRING THE LOCAL WATER UTILITIES ADMINISTRATION (LWUA)FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH (DOH) TO THE DEPARTMENTOF PUBLIC WORKS AND HIGHWAYS (DPWH)WHEREAS, Presidential Decree No. 198, as amended, established LWUA which is currentlyattached to the Department of Health (DOH) by virtue of Executive Order (EO) No. 738 ( s. 2008);WHEREAS, there is a need for concerted and well-coordinated effort in formulating policies as wellas planning and implementing programs and projects for the water sector;WHEREAS, The Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) was created byvirtue of republic Act No. 6234, as amended and is currently attached to the DPWH by virtue of ExecutiveOrder No. 124 ( s. 1987);WHEREAS, DPWH is mandated to ensure that the planning, design, construction andmaintenance of infrastructure facilities such as national highways, flood control and water resourcedevelopment systems, are in accordance with the highest level of safety and efficiency and in line with theoverall national development objectives;WHEREAS, EO No. 279 ( s. 2004) and EO 421 ( s. 2005) provide that representative from theDepartment of Finance (DOF) shall be one of the three National Government Trustees in the LWUA Board;WHEREAS, DOH representation in the LWUA Board of Trustees is sufficient for continuingoversight on the water and sanitation sector with respect to health concerns, andWHEREAS, under section 31, Chapter 10, Title lll, Book lll of the Administrative Code of 1987, thePresident has the continuing authority to reorganize the administrative structure of the Office of the President.NOW THEREFORE I, BENIGNO S> AQUINO lll, President of the Philippines, by virtue of thepowers vested in me by law, do hereby order and direct:SECTION 1. Transfer of LWUA to DPWH. LWUA is hereby transfreed from DOH to DPWH.SECTION 2. Authority to Exercise Administrative Supervision. DPWH is hereby authorizedto exercise administrative supervisionover LWUA and shall continue to implement reforms, including but notlimited to those established under EO No. 279 and EO 421, to ensure efficient flow of resources into thesector, thereby facilitating the implementation of projects therein.SECTION 3. National Government Trustees. The Secretaries of Finance, Public Works andHighways, and Health, serving in ex-officio capacity, shall sit as members of the LWUA Board of Trusteesrepresenting the National Government. The foregoing ex-officio members may designate their respectivealternates who shall be officials next-in-rank, and whose acts shall be considered the acts of their principals.In no case shall the alternate be lower in rank than Assistant Secretary.SECTION 4. Creation of an Inter-Agency Committee on the Water Sector. The Secretary ofPublic Works and Highways, as Lead, shall convene the Inter-Agency Committee on Water sector which ishereby tasked to design and recommend to the President a water sector master plan which will effectivelyaddress all the issues and concerns of the water sector. The Committee shall likewise recommend to thePresident the appropriate organizational structure of all concerned agencies for effective implementation of thewater sector plan.The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), Department of Budget andManagement (DBM), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Office of the President (OP) andsuch other concerned agencies shall form part of the Inter-Agency Committee on Water sector.SECTION 5. Rules and Regulations. DPWH, in consultation with the concerned agencies,shall formulate the Implementing Rules and regulations (IRR) for the effective implementation of this ExecutiveOrder.SECTION 6. Repeal. All orders, rules, regulations and issuances, or parts thereof, which areinconsistent with the provisions of this Executive Order, are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.SECTION 7. Separability. If any provision of this Executive Order is declared invalid orunconstitutional, the other provisions not affected shall remain valid and subsisting.SECTION 8. Effectivity. This Executive Order shall take effect immediately upon publication innewspaper of general circulation.DONE, in the City of Manila, this 20 th day of October in the year of our Lord Two Thousand andEleven.SIGNED PRESIDENT BENIGNO S. AQUINO lllBy the President:SIGNED PAQUITO N. OCHOA, JR. Executive Secretary10 The New WaterPoint 4th Issue 2011

16 The New WaterPoint 4th Issue 2011of October 7, 2011 that the purifier arrived from the Bicol region and wasimmediately dispatched to San Miguel for operation so that the residentsthere and in nearby areas could be given potable water as soon as possible.The water rationing lasted through October 11 and 1,440 five galloncontainers filled with purified water were distributed.Blas F. Ople Policy Institute Mobile Water Purifier Plant. Ataround 6 pm, October 8, 2011, the Blas Ople Policy Institute under Ms.Susana Toots Ople also sent a mobile water purifier plant to the HWD tohelp respond to the growing needs for clean, safe drinking water at theheight of the floodings. This was placed at the San Pedro Pump Station toserve the residents of the barangay and adjoining areas suffering from lowwater supply and pressure. About 200 five gallon containers were distributedand later filled with free purified water from the said pumping station. SanPedro was the first barangay to have its electrical services back hence thefree water dispensing operation only lasted for two days.Alay Kapwa. While most of the HWD units were concentratingon trying to maintain the water service operations at the height of the calamity,the staff of GM Vengco and the water sitrict’s employees association, theAlyansa ng Nagkakaisa at Aktibong Mga Kawani ng Padaluyang Tubigng Hagunoy ( Anak Patubig ng Bayan ) busied themselves solicitingassistance and donations from the neighboring water districts and evenfriends and associates. GM Vengco and the employee union even placeda letter at the social networking site Facebook detailing the hardships beingfaced in the town and opening the water district to any assistance or donationfor the flood victims. Using staff from HWD field operations and commercialdivisions, and through the kindness of the Malolos Water Diustrictr, GMVengco started gathering relief donations at the office of the MWD whichbecame the center of donation from other water districts in Bulacan sincetransportation to and from Hagony had been paralyzed. At night, HWD staffwould repack the donated rice, canned goods, coffee, bread, mineralwater, noodles and flavored drinks in preparation for their distribution. Inview of the limited supply, it was decided that the relief goods would only begiven to the poorest of the poor families in the barangays of Sta. Monica,San Sebastian, San Agustin, San Jose and Sto. Nino. The field collectorswere assigned to screen and select the potential beneficiary families of therelief goods and they themselves undertook the giving of stubs to thefamilies, wading in oftentimes waist deep floodwater to hand them over rightat their place of residence. HWD distributed the relief goods to the selectedbeneficiaries on October 8, 2011 Saturday at its office building starting in themorning until afternoon. Overall, some 1,752 indigent families benefitedfrom relief goods packs consisting of two kilos of rice, 2 cans of sardines,2 packs of instant noodles, 2 packs of biscuits, 2 packs of coffee or energydrink and 1 bottle of mineral water.The relief donations came from HWD employees who gave 77cavans of rice, 700 cans of sardines, 663 packs of noodles, 870 packetsof biscuits, 200 bottles of mineral water and 117 packs of coffee. Otherdonors include the water districts of Bocaue, Sta. Maria, San Rafael,Bulacan, Norzagaray, Malolos Baliwag, San Jose del Monte and Angat.The few private donors were led by former PBA player now assistantcoach Art de la Cruz who is a native of the town, Global Computer, Eric andCompany and Zhong Fu Packing.Feeding Program. In close coordination and cooperation withthe Blas F. Ople Policy Institute, the HWD also paved the way for a freefeeding program for indigent townfolk whose plight was made worst by thecalamity. The free feeding program was undertaken on October 10, 2011,Monday at 4 pm and was held in front of GM Vengco’s apartment atRaymuno Subdivision in Bgy. Sto Nino where hundreds of poorest of thepoor residents from Sapang Pari and adjacent areas were treated to freehot meals. Some 500 persons, both young and old , benefited from theprogram.Free Charging of Cell Phone, Flashlight etal. The role oftelecommunications, especially using the cell phone, is very important intimes of calamities. It has become the most effective means ofcommunication of the water district in responding to the needs beginningwith the emergency caused by the massive floodings and the widespreadpower blackout. When MERALCO was forced to cut its electrical servicein Hagonoy on September 27, 2011, the HWD started to operate all itsgenerator units and opened its office and even its pumping stations to allowthe HWD employees and even employees of nearby offices and someresidents to charge their cell phones, laptops, rechargeable lamps,flashlights and electric fans from 8 am to 7 am. This was done in the spiritof public service and as a show of the management’s camaraderie andunity with the employees in face of their hardships and sacrifices inperforming their work especially during the emergency.Sustained Information Dessimination: Upholding thepeople’s right to know. The media ( radio, TV and print ) followed theevents in Hagonoy at the height of the flooding. Among their particularconcerns was the water supply situation in the municipality. Despite hishectic schedule as head of the Oplan-Baha of the HWD, GM Vengco stillfound time to accommodate requests for radio/TV interviews wherein heimpressed upon the media and the public as in his talks last October 3,2011 with radio hosts Deo Macalma and Ruth Abao-Espinosa over DZRH’s“Hataw” news and public affairs program that potable water supplyoperations of the Hagonoy Water District had continued and been sustainedto the highest level possible despite the flooding and the absence of electricity.He also took the opportunity to acknowledge and thank Governor Alvaradoand Councilor Amboy Manlapaz for their material support and assistance,Hagonoy Mayor Angel L. Cruz for his effective information disseminationat the height of the flood and the guidance and full support given him by theHWD Board of Directors chaired by Angel B. Javier. He also later gaveinterviews with Arlene de la Cruz over NET 25 and with RPN 9 and ABC5 during the free rationing of purified water at the Apo Ana production center.Alay-Kapwa 11: Medical Mission. Despite the fact thatfloodwater was already receding in practically the entire town, the HWDmanagement and staff continued to think of ways of how to help in assuringthe safety and health of the badly-affected residents. In coordination with theBlas F. Ople Policy Center based in the water district’s office buildingnamed “Gusaling Ka Blas”after the late former Labor Secretary and Senatorand the AMOSUP Seamen’s Hospital in Ermita, Manila, the HWD initiatedthe conduct of a free General Consultation for Adults and Pediatrics onOctober 15, 2011 at the Ka Blas building. Fifteen doctors from AMOSUPcame and provided free medical consultation and attention to some 600adult and child patients. Medicines were also provided for free. A bookreading session was also held for child patients. This activity also coincidedwith the continuation of the Alay-Kapwa 1 wherein 250 more packs of reliefgoods were distributed to the poorest families in Bgy. San Agustin.HWD was able to restore normal water service and operationsfor its thousands of concessionaires by October 12, 2011.These are only the latest of the outstanding feats of the HWD,among the first water districts in the country to attain 100 percent coverageof its area of jurisdiction that included a few off-shore barangays/sitios inManila Bay, which celebrates its 35 th anniversary, December 6, 2011,The New WaterPoint 4th Issue 201117

The New WaterPoint 4th Issue 201119like a child? These kindergarten-like paintings of Picasso gave birth to Cubism, the kind of painting characterized by geometrical forms or planes. ThisArt which he pioneered made him the greatest painter of the 20 th century (see two samples below). Picasso’s kinder drawings made waves and ravesaround the world, jampacking Christie’s and Sotheby’s. Narrow Web, for example, was auctioned off for $6.9-M in Australia- quite a fortuneunfortunately,if you’re not a Picasso lover, like my nephew.by: Al EspinedaWhat you are, your heart is. Man’s romances and exploits told by poets and writers are filled with allegories, that we like to believe the heartholds our fate. Perhaps. As the heart responds and pounds as the brain commands, the person is caught between following his heart and using his head.Reason and emotion rule our world, and, more often than not, man would rise and fall in sea of emotions. Love and passion do wonders, and great thingshappen from the heart, including works of art.As a child, I would watch my father paint and be awed by the colors and images laid on the canvass. It was an early intro to Art as I tried anderred on just anything. Painting was just a hobby of my father but he did it with all his heart. With pride, he would show off, as if a trophy, his art-class picturein a nude painting session, with an American bombshell, more explosive than a super ordnance, posing as model. Well, everything about my father justrubbed off on me, including that picture, and, subconsciously, I was drawn to… yes, drawing.Narrow Web by PicassoI remember then, I used to tail my mother to school. There, I would show off what I’d got- cool shirt, shorts and shoes, and my dexterity withthe chalk. I would mess up the blackboard with drawings, and my favorite subjects then were Rizal, and a snake entwined a tree trunk. All these I didwith some airs, that braggadocio of the kiddie kind. It was a cloud nine feeling, seeing the gullible barrio kids practically worshipping the son of Ma’am.Beyond the adulation, there was a different “high” in portraying Rizal and the snake. It was the gratification derived from creating something that looks alive.This fascination persisted through high school, and thence had been drawing popular figures like Guy and Pip, and some Hollywood stars. That time haspassed now but the interest remains. Genes aside, it’s in the blood, as we always hear, and the heart keeps that blood flowing. Allegorically, the heartthus keeps the interest going for oil paint and turpentine to flow. A peek into the artist and his art would be interesting.I was browsing a book featuring the works of the world’s 500great painters, and, sadly, not one comes from the Philippines. In my ownview, Filipino painters are equally magnifico and excelente. In fact, youcan always mistake the Spoliarium as work of Rembrandt, or perhapssome other European master. A Noy-pi can always do it, even better.Take for instance my 6-year old nephew, a budding artist, who picked onPicasso and, with instant mix of over-confidence and innocence (kuno),Femme by Pablo Picasso proclaimed he could do better and could give life to Picasso’s Femme bypainting the flip side.Compare these two paintings- one by Picasso (titled Figure)and the other by 4-year old Paoleen. On first seeing Picasso’s, you maynot be able to dig it because the painting is deep in meaning, though simplein execution. For Paoleen’s, however, it’s easily understandable, andhere you see two girls dancing. Did you know that Picasso intentionallyunlearned himself after years of painting orthodoxly, and began paintingFigure by PicassoTwo Girls Reading by PicassoBolena by Cy TwomblyDoes the painting by Cy Twombly titled Bolena, picked as one of the great paintings done between medieval and modern times, remind you ofyour boring classes in college when you yawned and doodled the hours away? This exercise subtly reveals our artistic inclination when drowsy or whenjust plain lazy. Well, yawning in class is an art- of (almost) sleeping with the enemy- your teacher. To a beholden beholder, what Twombly did (or doodled)is Art, but to many, he only sharpened his pencils on his paper. Careless and worthless this work may seem but kinda thought-provoking to many, itdrains the brains of art critics trying to penetrate the psyche of the Artist who are stereotyped as out-of-this-world or out-of-his-mind. Not all. Certainly thereare still many goodies in the proverbial basket. Call him lazy, or his work, crazy. Twombly just did his art, whether you like it or not. If you really believeBolena is worth raving about, hold it boy, don’t provoke my nephew.Now come Mark Rothko and Yves Klein. Their works wereincluded in the collection of great paintings. Rothko’s work was describedas “gives the feeling of containing some burning truth, as if they representedthe embodiment of long and arduous meditation”. Whew! The painting wasuntitled, well, probably because Rothko could not think of a title to his workwhich virtually contains nothing, except his critics who saw something.Klein’s work titled IKB 79 shows only blue color, and no more. But criticssaw more and said the painting was powerful because “it has the ability toinvade the viewer’s sensibility and exert a strong meditative influence”.Untitled by Mark RothkoIKB 79 by Yves Klein18 The New WaterPoint 4th Issue 2011

20 The New WaterPoint 4th Issue 2011Why not green, or yellow? Obviously, Klein’s work is as clear as the blue sky. Like facing a blank wall, we can not avoid feeling blue, and, in this case,one would rather listen to blues.The painting at left is Duet I by Bill Buchman. Gets? Like Rothko’s and Klein’s andTwombly’s, this kind of painting is called Abstract art. Abstract paintings don’t represent anyobject and they’re done spontaneously- straight from the artist’s hand, heart and head. Itreflects his emotional state at that time, and financial state too, if he paints 24/7. Whatever themotivation or reason, abstract painting is as enigmatic as the painter. Observe viewers in apainting exhibit. Many are usually glued to an abstract painting, in deep thought, seeminglytroubled trying to connect the title to the mishmash of paints. Mystery and ambiguity arenormal fare for the art critic. For the artist, being criticized like Mideo Cruz is already a featthat’s next to winning. So, c’mon, it’s easy. Close your eyes if you like, just mess the canvasswith paints and colors and do whatever it pleases or displeases you. Worry not. You do nothave to be a master. The more you don’t understand your work, the better, and you canalways title it Metamorphosis, a favorite word used by painters and wannabes, which connotessomething mysterious that is evolving into something which… well, only God knows.Now see Francois Boucher’s Odalisque. Hmmm. Can youdig it? Lest I prick your anatomical sensitivity, I boxed out the majorwrinkle, but I’m afraid I would draw protests from Boucher’s fans and fromDuet I by Bill Buchmanadvocates of artistic freedom. Be that as it may, the painting is an exampleof Realism, a realistic rendition that almost looks like a photo. Boucher wasknown to make provocative Realism-styled paintings, and he was a favoriteof the mistress-loving King Louis XV of France who, because of hispenchant for other women, lost his throne to the French Revolution. Anyway,if you want to paint and impress people without much effort and without therealistic details of Boucher’s, then you can do it like Kees van Dongen’s Portrait of Dolly. We call that Impressionism.We probably have heard of the song line “Starry, starry night, paint your palette blue and gray….”. This song tells about Vincent van Gogh, theDutch impressionist who paints in unique style- in short brushstrokes. Many know him as the one who lost his sanity and cut his ear. He was the typicalstruggling painter of today. All the years he was eking out a living, nobody commissioned him to do a portrait, thus he commissioned himself and madeseveral self-portraits, one of them showing his bandaged ear. He sold only one painting in his lifetime. He painted “Starry Night” when he was confinedin an asylum. He really took to heart his illness that he took his own life. Now, they’re crazy over his paintings. So, who’s crazy? Van Gogh paintingsare now most sought-after and can be found in many prints.Salvador Dali was known for painting unreal, alien and bizarre subjects. That’s Surrealism. I hadthe chance to actually see the surreal works of Dali in Figueres, Spain, his birthplace, during my Netherlandstraining stint in 1997. Two samples of Dali’s paintings – Portrait of Picasso and The Face of War- showanother face of Art- that of accentuating negativism. We used to see art as something good and beautiful andone that leaves us in positive moods. However, Dali’s paintings raise eyebrows and blood pressure, and giveus goose bumps and throat lumps. Neurons most probably had gone amok inside Dali’s brain, resulting indistorted images in his paintings. If you can stretch your imagination way, way far from the real and the usual,and if you’re brave enough to reveal your deepest, darkest thoughts, then you can be a surrealist painter. Inthis world, anything goes when it comes to disturbing our peace and assaulting our right senses. For Dali, it Salvador Daligoes beyond popped eyes and twisted mustache.Salvador DaliThe Face of War by Salvador DaliOdalisque by Francois BoucherDali Museum, Spain, 1997Portrait of Picasso by Salvador DaliThe need to express one’s self will always be there. Whether you’re frustrated, inspired, or going through some weird, unexplained emotion,there’s an iota of Art in each one of us that will spark later and set our (he)arts on fire. It only takes the right amount of motivation and endocrine secretionto turn a speck of interest into a solid pursuit that will calm the rages within.From the heart, you can master peace with your art.Portrait of Dolly by Kees van DongenStarry Night by Vincent van GoghThe New WaterPoint 4th Issue 201121

The New WaterPoint 4th Issue 201123Revisiting Binmaley Water District:The Quest For Excellence Continuesby Teodoro M. Reynoso ( WP Editor)Photos by Reynaldo M. VidaThe first time I visited the Binmaley Water District (BWD) morethan five years ago, it had barely begun operating its then newly-built watertreatment plant (WTP) next to its office building that was funded by grantfrom the Japanese International Cooperation Agency or JICA and waslaying the groundworks for the construction of another and bigger WTPalso with JICA grant assistance. At that time, it had just about 3,000 serviceconnections in the town proper of Binmaley, Pangasinan and adjacentbarangays.In my most recent visit last December 2011, BWD is alreadyoperating two water treatment plants and serving more than 8,000 serviceconnections in all of Binmaley’s 26 barangays plus another one barangayeach in the nearby capital town of Lingayen and the town of Calasiao.The water district has also just completed another pumping stationcomplete with standby generator set and the first of its kind ( in NorthernLuzon, at least ) modular steel-bolted rectangular fiberglass water reservoirwhich are capable of producing 15 liters of water per second and holding300 cubic meters of water respectively, to augment and boost the watergeneration and supply capabilities of the BWD.“These improvements which are all funded from BWD’s owninternal cash generations are meant to meet the water demand of ourconcessionaires particularly in the daily peak hours and during weekendsand holidays where water use is at its highest”, BWD pioneering and long-time general manager Engr. Mariano Gonzalo explained.He figures that the revenues from the extra water consumptionwhich would not have been possible without these expansions will morethan pay for the investments in the projects in the medium to the long term.He estimates that the water district will earn more than two million pesos inadditional income from the operation of those two new projects.GM Gonzalo said that despite the tremendous development theBWD has attained thus far in terms of physical facilities and improvementin water quality and extending the system’s reach and coverage, hepersonally is not relenting on pursuing further improvements of its facilities,system and operation “as long as we can afford and sustain them”.“The biggest room in the world is the room for improvement,further improvement and I am doing this no longer for accomplishmentsbut for legacy I will be leaving behind for my beloved native town ofBinmaley”, GM Gonzalo who will be reaching retirement age in a fewyears time, intoned.GM Mar, as he is also fondly called by colleagues in the waterdistrict community in Pangasinan, may be a relative newbie compared to22 The New WaterPoint 4th Issue 2011

24 The New WaterPoint 4th Issue 2011a certain desired level of financial viability and community patronage andacceptance.Hence, GM Mar through the support and guidance of the BWDBoard prioritized the streamlining and enhancing the efficiency andprofessionalism of the water district staff while trying to win over and maintainthe goodwill of the community, especially its valued customers. The BWDalso through GM Mar was able to cultivate good working relationship withLWUA, particularly with its institutional development, engineering andfinancial departments.The wisdom of the strategy was affirmed later when BWD throughthe endorsement of LWUA was able to be included in the very short list ofwater districts eligible for JICA financial grant assistance for the improvementof the quality of their water supply. That was in the middle of last decadewhen Binmaley became recipient of JICA grants for not one but two watertreatment plants.At first, there were some doubts about the capability of the BWDto maintain and sustain simultaneously the operation of two modern watertreatment plants on account of the high cost of fuel and chemicals but thosesoon vanished as the water district has consistently showed positive financialbottom lines since year one.The consistent exemplary performance of the BWD has lead toits being acclaimed as most outstanding water district in the mediumcategory in consecutive years.GM Mar said the water district has almost saturated its entireservice area without necessarily maxing out the capacities of the two watertreatment plants. But he quickly added that while the service area remainedhis contemporaries who have been on the scene since the 70s or early80s but the years he spent observing and learning from experiences ofothers and his own have enabled him to amass a trove of “wisdom” fromwhich he derived his decisions and courses of action.GM Mar and his Binmaley Water District by the way were thesubject of an earlier feature article in this magazine way back in 2006where he shared gems of wisdoms in running the affairs of an aspiringwater district which he said was even was even adopted by a localnewspaper and uploaded in the internet.The Binmaley Water District has really gone a long way sinceits humble beginnings in the early 80s wherein it had to put up not only withsupply adequacy but also of water quality issues.In those early years, GM Mar had already recognized that theproblems of water supply could be addressed by improvement projectswhich BWD can have with the assistance of the Local Water UtilitiesAdministration (LWUA). However, he was also quick to acknowledge thatthe issue on water quality brought about by high level of iron and manganesecould only be addressed through the application of appropriate technologywhich at that time the water district did not possess or cannot afford on itsown.GM Mar was also aware that the BWD would only be in theposition to address both issues if it can operate efficiently and professionallydespite its then prevailing source and technical deficiencies so as to attainconstant, the demand for water continually grows with the increase inpopulation and economic activities in Binmaley.The only frustration of GM Mar, if that can be called as such, isthe continued stay of the BWD in the medium category despite its highmarks in several key results areas, except in operating ratio ( on accountof the high operating and maintenance costs ) and number of connections( as mentioned earlier, the water district has already saturated its servicearea ) for which certain criteria have to be meet for re-classsification to thenext higher category.The ambition of the water district on this respect is now evenmade difficult by the recent agreement reached by the inter-agency groupcomposed of the Department of Budget and Management, LWUA, thePhilippine Association of Water Districts (PAWD) and the Commission onAudit to reduce further the existing water district classifications and widenthe criteria for qualifications of water districts.But GM Mar remains positive and optimistic and ever determinedto put the BWD in what he termed as its rightful and proper place in thecommunity of water districts nationwide.For if there is another legacy that GM Mar would want to leavebehind in his retirement, it is something that will reward the loyal andhardworking employees and staff of the Binmaley Water District includinghis successor. That is job grade and remunerations commensurate totheir sacrifices, labor and toil.The New WaterPoint 4th Issue 201125

The New WaterPoint 4th Issue 201127Man Cannot LiveWithout Waterby Zoilo Dejaresco/Business Option ( Manila Bulletin )Water is essential to life, our elementary science teachers toldus.In fact, 71% of the earth’s surface is made up of water; man’sbody is 75% water. Ninety six percent of the world’s water supply is foundin the oceans; only 2.5% is fresh water of which 70& of the latter is used foragriculture.Man needs water to survive — without it, in a few days man willdie. In some areas like Bohol and Iligan, electric power is partly derivedfrom hydro-electric plants run by gushing waterfalls.Water is needed to nourish plants and animals needed by manas food. Without water and the sanitation it helps provide, man can get sickand disable him from earning a living and the women from tending to theirhomes because of sickness.Sadly, 1 billion people in the world do not have access tosafe water and 2.5 billion do not have waterfor sanitation. It is a serious problemwhich prompted the UnitedNations to make accessibility ofH2O (water) as one of its Millennium Development Goals globally.Blessed with abundant rain and numerous sources of water, it isironic that in the Philippines, some 24 million or 24% of the population (oronly 76% have access) do not have access to potable water on asustained basis. If “water-less” areas means less than 50% of the water,then 498 municipalities and 780 water districts are considered as “waterless.”Poor water and rain management had caused massivefloodings and loss of lives and properties over the years in this country.Huge irrigation dams, some of them built with questionable financials, arenot as efficient as small water impounding reservoirs. The inefficient damscan be found in many places in the country – a tragedy since agricultureused about three-fourths of available fresh water. In fact, 1.5 million hectaresof the country’s agricultural land relies on water for productivity.The Palafox Formula (after environmentalist-architect MAPpresident Jun Palafox) includes proper rainwater management. He thinkshouses should have facilities to store rain water and communities shouldeach have a huge rain catch basin – both to utilize abundant tons of rainwater productively and to prevent them from going to the wrong placesand cause flooding. This could mean canals to catch rainwater from therooftops and take that to the huge catch basin.Man has polluted our rivers and lakes – we need to dredge upthe filth and make the water potable or at least good enough for marine lifeto survive for man’s food. The Laguna Lake is a dying lake—huge as itmaybe; fish has gone away from the dirty Manila Bay.Science is desperately trying to perfect machines that can nowefficiently convert salty sea water to safe potable tasteless water. Futuristicauthors conjure up ideas that since 71% of the globe is water and populationis rising exponential, future cities can be inside hard glass domes with giantoxygen supplier for humans under the oceans. They can see thehandwriting on the wall.The Philippines, as UN signatory nation, is committed to increasethe 76% (with access to water) population ratio to 87% by the year 2015,a year before President Aquino steps down.To accelerate this, the DBP (Development Bank of thePhilippines), through its President Francisco “Popoy” del Rosario hasoffered a P5 billion FPWS (Financing Program for Water Sector) to helphouseholds have access to potable water through their LGUs, waterdistricts and water service providers.The FPWS will fund the development, construction, expansion,rehabilitation or improvement of Level 2 and 3 facilities. Level 2 meanscommunal or public faucets at strategic locations in the community whileLevel 3 is piped connections to households and commercialestablishments. The DBP financing also covers new climate changetechnologies like development of alternative impounding areas and raincollection means.Our teeming water sources and abundant rainfall should notmake Filipinos assume a false sense of confidence and to waste water toextinction. It is timely that Pnoy has assembled a new Inter Agencycommittee on the water sector to draw out a blueprint for water priorities inthis country.There are grim forecasts that by 2025 half of the world’spopulation will have water vulnerability and by 2030, developing countries’demand for water will exceed supply by 50%. It is a terrible prospect.Since man cannot live without water, the program to scientificallymanage the economics of water management cannot come one daylate.26 The New WaterPoint 4th