Water Controversy in Bontoc

Patch up and cover up best describe the Bontoc waterworks project in mountain province Philippines. This project cost the Philippine government 60 million plus pesos of tax payers money.It was conceptualized during the term of congressman Roy Pilando of the lone district of Mountain Province. The purpose was to provide a potable water supply to four barrios of Bontoc namely Caluttit, Poblacion,Bontoc ili, and Samoki. Mainit an upland barrio of Bontoc was identified as the water source because the local residents were amenable to it. The project was ready to start then but the opposition of certain groups against the project was filed to the office of the Department of public works and highways holding the project in abeyance.Its implementation was stopped because it was overtaken by the 2003 national election. When congressman Victor Dominguez took over he initiated the the realignment of the project from Mainit to Bayyo, another barrio of Bontoc. This was the start of a series of demonstrations by the Bayyo and Bontoc people who were against the transfer of the project. Series of consultations were conducted to iron out their differences, it was during these consultations that the engineers of the DPWH presented a very attractive technical plan that divided the opposition for some time. Immediately thereafter the waterworks at Bayyo that started raising eyebrows. Hardly did the project project made a headway when the people renewed their resistance against the project due to violations of agreement by the DPWH and the good congressman. Another reason for the opposition are as follows, first,the people had bad experience regarding the use of questionable plastic pipes a few years back when plastic pipes were installed to carry potable water from Talubin to Bontoc. Every now and then the pipes would burst causing lots of inconveniences to the populace specially to the business sector and the hospital. Ultimately nothing was left of those plastic pipes because they were replaced with G.I. pipes. Now the DPWH are again installing plastic pipes that experience taught them is impractical. It is practically spending 60 million pesos for nothing and wasting taxpayers money. Second, the DPWH engineers presented a proposal that is a bit acceptable but in the implementation of the project it is totally different. This maneuvers of the DPWH is contrary to the informed and prior consent provision of Philippine laws and international principles. They tell one thing and do another, obviously the purpose of this is for profit.
The author believes that a test must be performed on these plastic pipes to analyze whether or not the plastic pipes are safe. That there is no guaranty that the project is operational for 50 years as promised by DPWH engineers.who is to blame when the project becomes useless? The first project was useless and no one was answerable. Three years ago these problem started and again it was overtaken by another election in 2007, maybe this can go on and on.Before we know it this controversy will just be forgotten and the poor Igorot beneficiaries will just sit in silence and sleep on a nightmare and wake up as if nothing happened.