City allots P14M budget for artesian wells
BACOLOD CITY – The Sangguniang Panglungsod of Bacolod City unanimously approved last Wednesday regular session the request of Mayor Evelio Leonardia for an appropriation ordinance realigning the amount of P14 million from other Public Infrastructure for the development of artesian wells, reservoirs and pumping stations and conduits.
Mayor Leonardia said that the purpose of this appropriation ordinance is “to address the vital need of our constituents in the various barangays of the city for potable water supply, and therefore there is a need to construct more artesian wells.”
In the Calendar Year (CY) 2009 General Fund Budget of Bacolod City (under the Office of the City Mayor), there is an appropriation of P15 million for “Other Public Infrastructure” - supposedly for the administration’s purpose of constructing more artesian wells. Leonardia emphasized that to implement this much-needed project at once, the Revised Chart of Account of the Commission on Audit, necessitates that said construction of artesian wells shall be charged to “Artesian Wells, Reservoirs and Pumping Stations and Conduits instead of “Other Public Infrastructure”, hence he requested the passage of an ordinance reverting the amount of more than P14 million from other Public Infrastructure to artesian wells, reservoirs and the like.
On the other hand, Engineer Amy Tentia of the Planning and Design Division of the City Engineer’s Office (CEO) said that this project will undergo a public bidding. She said that out of this whole amount, at least 300 artesian wells would be constructed in every barangays. She also stressed that this artesian wells shall be subjected for a public bidding by the Bids and Awards Committee.