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Councilor Lilia Nuño of District 2 has strongly voiced her opposition to the privatization of Zamboanga City Water District (ZCWD) as this will bring out the increase of the cost of water.

“Definitely I’m against it, privatization del maga basic services. No combiene man privatize cay obligation se de gobyerno,” Nuño said in an interview.

“Why privatize since the ZCWD has already made loan to upgrade its facilities and rehabilitation works are now being done then all of a sudden privatize? Where is now the role of government?” she asked.

Apparently, the comment of Nuño questions the Private Public Partnership (PPP) which the national government has been advocating.
“El policy, its Public Private Partnership, quien na private quiere man enter into partnership with the government si nohay sila ganancia? Ese el debe mira el gobyerno nacional,” Nuño further asked.

She said that if the plan pushes through, the public will be affected because the prices will go higher.

Earlier, the Labor Union of Zamboanga City (LUZC) opposed the House Bill No. 2997, filed by Senator Edgardo Angara, aiming to privatize the water districts in the country.

Senator Angara’s proposed bill aims to institutionalize reforms in the water industry, rationalization, allocation and distribution of service areas, provision of incentives for infrastructure development or for new clean, efficient and ecological technologies, reorganizing the National Water Resources Board, creating local water supply and sanitation companies, amending for the purpose certain laws and for other related purposes or otherwise would be known asd the Water Sector Reform Act 2012.

The eventual privatization of all water districts in the country might turn water into a profit-oriented monopoly control of water by business giants.

Meanwhile, Councilor Nuño reiterated her strong oppostion to the conversion of Zamboanga City Medical Center (ZCMC) into a government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCC).

A pending House Bill is seeking to convert the 27 government owned-hospitals to include Zamboanga City Medical Center into GOCC.
The committee in the House of Representative already approved House Bill 6069.

Under the corporate set-up the government hospitals will be allowed to engage in income generating activities, the proceeds can be used to help subsidized medical care to indigent patients. They will also enjoy fiscal autonomy and operational flexibility which will lead to more efficient delivery of health services.  

The senate also has its version, Senate Bill 3130 an act restructuring program for national government hospital. The House Bill and the Senate Bill are in the committee level.

The measure will convert the health care facilities operated directly by the Department of Health into government-owned and -controlled corporations (GOCCs) responsible for generating their own funding; the plan would see government subsidies for all but tertiary hospitals gradually eliminated by 2020.

By R.G. A A. Go