Water stations warned: Don't take advantage of the crisis
City Mayor Jerry Treñas warned all water refilling stations in the city from drastically increasing the price of water they sell, otherwise they would be closed.
The city is currently facing water shortage problem in the aftermath of typhoon Frank.
Treñas said he will not allow unscrupulous businessmen to take advantage of the city residents just to earn profit. He said he will not hesitate to shut down the operation of any water refilling station if the evidence warrants. "Bahala na akusar lang ko nila. indi ko nila pag testingan kay sampulan ko gid sila," Treñas said.
Treñas, apparently depressed by the devastation caused by flash floods in the city, was emotional when he learned about the modus of some water refill stations in the city.
"This will serve as a signal to all the water refill stations not to take advantage of the situation," he said.
Anywhere in the city, people lined to buy gallons of purified water from the water refill stations to address their drinking water needs in the absence of potable water from the Metro Iloilo Water District (MIWD).
MIWD is currently implementing water rationing in the city after their main pipeline in Brgy. Amerang, Cabatuan was destroyed by the typhoon.
Typhoon Frank affected 145 barangays of the city's 180 barangays. The affected families increased to 48,411 with 241,965 persons. The death toll also increased to 21 with 169 injured persons. There are 2,515 houses destroyed and 1,428 partially damaged.
Before the calamity, a gallon of purified water sells from as low as 3 for P100. However, after the typhoon, the price of a 5-liter gallon container refilled purified water sells from P40 to P50 in different water refill stations.
Treñas said he has already sought the help of Department of Trade and Industry Regional Director Dominic Abad to find out which among the water refill stations in the city have violated the price law that warrants action from the department.
The chief executive encouraged the Ilonggos to report any water refill stations that sells purified water beyond regulated price allowed by the trade department.
The trade department is the government agency that regulates the price of commodities while the local government units are mandated by Presidential Decree PD 856 or the Sanitation Code of the Philippines to issue sanitary permit, sanitary clearance, health certificates, certificate of potability, drinking water site clearance and closure order (if necessary) and to conduct sanitary inspection of water refill stations.