The Bacolod City Water District (Baciwa) Employees Union-National Federation of Labor Unions (BEU-NAFLU) recently elected new officers.

Each official serves a three-year term.

Among those assuming posts within the union include Leny R. Espina as president; Joevanni L. Padilla and vice president; Iden H. Villaruz – secretary; Nerissa O. Marañon – treasurer; Ma. Fe D. Jaranilla – auditor; Haironezza Abdullah – public information officer; Guido Edemni – sergeant-at-arms; and Marcelino N. Nobleza, Hazaelo V. Parlan, Jesus C. Barril, Jr., Robimel A. Camaso, Oliver S. Caparas, Jose Randy D. Segovia, and Ernie K. Mahilum serving as board of directors.

Last year, in response to an unsolicited proposal by the MetroPac Water Investments Corporation, Prime Water Infrastructure Corporation, and the Manila Water Company Inc. to form a public-private partnership, then-BEU President Claudio Salmo said, “We have already a position paper pending at the Board of Directors that we are opposed to any form of privatization.”

He called the proposal the “beginning” of privatization and said, if the water utility were to be privatized, employees would be affected, there would be no security of tenure, and no assurances on water rates./WDJ