The Bacolod City Sangguniang Panlungsod rejected a proposal by City Councilor Wilson Gamboa, Jr. requesting the Bacolod City Water District (Baciwa) to equally divide the announced increases to meter repair and maintenance fees into installments.

The city legislator argued, these types of fee hikes are often shouldered by low income households and, by dividing the charges, the increases can be equally distributed and apportioned based on consumption.

Wennie Sancho, secretary-general for Bacolod City-based watchdog group Water Watch Advocates (WWA), released a statement earlier this week demanding Baciwa explain the reasons for the planned increased, which are scheduled to go up by P15 next month.

According to Baciwa General Manager Juliana Carbon, the utility firm decided to implement increases since the fees have not been adjusted since 1973./NC, WDJ