By CESAR JOLITO III

The joint venture agreement (JVA) between Bacolod City Water District (Baciwa) and PrimeWater Infrastructure Corp. is “no longer worth it” due to multiple violations and unfulfilled commitments, according to Baciwa Board President Atty. Sonya Verdeflor.

In a radio interview yesterday, Verdeflor revealed that PrimeWater has failed to meet several key provisions of the JVA.

These include PrimeWater’s promise of a 24/7 water supply to city residents, the delivery of P200 million in capital expenditures within the first five years, and P1.6 billion in infrastructure investments.

As of now, Verdeflor said, only P130 million has been spent.

She also disclosed that PrimeWater is three months behind in settling its obligations to Bacolod Bulk Water Inc. (BBWI), with arrears reaching P5 million as of June and expected to rise further with July’s billing.

She cited PrimeWater’s overly centralized decision-making as a cause of operational delays and warned that the firm appears “financially distressed.”

The Baciwa board is now reviewing whether to continue or terminate the partnership.

On Monday, August 11, Bacolod Mayor Greg Gasataya mediated between Baciwa-PrimeWater and its bulk water supplier, BBWI, averting a looming water crisis that could have disrupted supply to thousands of Bacolod residents.

The emergency agreement was reached just hours before BBWI was set to announce the shutdown of its Sum-ag Water Treatment Plant at Barangay Salvacion in Negros Occidental’s Murcia town.

BBWI, which provides 40 percent of Baciwa-PrimeWater’s supply through its Granada and Sum-ag facilities, has threatened to halt operations over unpaid invoices for May and June 2025.

Under the brokered deal, Baciwa-PrimeWater committed to paying its outstanding dues, while both utilities agreed to establish long-term payment protocols to avoid similar disputes in the future./CJ, WDJ