SANTIAGO WATER DISTRICT HISTORY
THE SANTIAGO WATER DISTRICT (SANWAD) WAS FORMED AND CREATED IN 1979 THRU A RESOLUTION PASSED BY THE LOCAL LEGISLATIVE BODY. IT WAS ON SEPTEMBER 5, 1979 WHEN THE CERTIFICATE OF CONDITIONAL CONFORMANCE (CCC) WAS ISSUED BY THE LOCAL WATER UTILITIES ADMINISTRATION (LWUA). SANWAD WAS THE 92ND WATER DISTRICT FORMED IN THE PHILIPPINES.
THE GOVERNING BODY OF EVERY WATER DISTRICT IS THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS. SECTION 8, CHAPTER III OF PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 198 PROVIDES THAT, “IT SHALL BE COMPOSED OF FIVE CITIZENS OF THE PHILIPPINES WHO ARE OF VOTING AGE AND RESIDENTS WITHIN THE DISTRICT. ONE MEMBER SHALL BE A REPRESENTATIVE OF CIVIC-ORIENTED SERVICE CLUBS, ONE MEMBER A REPRESENTATIVE OF PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS, ONE MEMBER A REPRESENTATIVE OF BUSINESS, COMMERCIAL, OR FINANCIAL ORGANIZATIONS, ONE MEMBER A REPRESENTATIVE OF EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS AND ONE MEMBER A REPRESENTATIVE OF WOMEN’S ORGANIZATIONS.”
THE FIRST SET OF BOARD OF DIRECTORS COMPOSED OF THE LATE DR. ADOLFO O. FLORES (CIVIC SECTOR), MR. RENATO N. AGUSTIN (PROFESSIONAL SECTOR) MR. JOLLY SILVERIO (BUSINESS SECTOR), DR. ZENAIDA C. CABUCANA (EDUCATION SECTOR) AND DONA CEFERINA JOCSON (WOMEN SECTOR). THESE BOARD MEMBERS, JOINED BY THE FIRST GENERAL MANAGER IN THE PERSON OF MR. ANTONIO P. SANTOS, WORKED TOGETHER IN SEEKING THE APPROVAL OF AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE INITIAL LOAN FROM LWUA (LOCAL WATER UTILITIES ADMINISTRATION) FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE WATER SYSTEM THEN UNDER THE MUNICIPAL WATER SYSTEM (MUNWAS). LWUA ACTS AS A PRIMARY SPECIALIZED LENDING INSTITUTION FOR THE PROMOTION, DEVELOPMENT AND FINANCING OF LOCAL WATER UTILITIES. IN OCTOBER 1983, THE NEW WATER SYSTEM WAS INAUGURATED. THIS SYSTEM COVERED AND SERVED 2,500 CONSUMERS. ENCOURAGED BY ITS INITIAL SUCCESS, SANWAD LAUNCHED AN EXPANSION PROGRAM COSTING PHP 2 MILLION WHICH LAID ADDITIONAL SEVEN (7) KILOMETERS OF PIPELINES FOR ADDITIONAL 1,000 CONSUMERS.
IN SEPTEMBER 1991, THE SUPREME COURT RULED IN THE CASE OF DAVAO CITY WATER DISTRICT, ET. AL VS. CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION & COMMISSION ON AUDIT, THAT WATER DISTRICTS ARE DECLARED GOVERNMENT-OWNED AND CONTROLLED CORPORATIONS WITH ORIGINAL CHARTER WHICH FALL UNDER THE JURISDICTION OF THE PUBLIC RESPONDENTS CSC AND COA. PRIOR TO THIS RULING, WATER DISTRICTS WERE OPERATING AS QUASI-PUBLIC CORPORATIONS, EXERCISING POWERS, RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES GIVEN TO PRIVATE CORPORATIONS. THE SUPREME COURT DECISION BROUGHT A DRASTIC CHANGE IN THE LOCAL WATER DISTRICTS. EMPLOYEES WERE THEN REQUIRED TO PASS THE CIVIL SERVICE EXAMINATIONS AND COMPLY WITH THE QUALIFICATION STANDARDS; ITS FINANCIAL REPORTS WERE THEN AUDITED BY COA (COMMISSION ON AUDIT), THE DBM (DEPARTMENT OF BUDGET & MANAGEMENT) REQUIRED THE SUBMISSION OF POSITION ALLOCATION LIST, PLANTILLA OF PERSONNEL, ETC.; INSURANCE PREMIUMS WERE NO LONGER REMITTED TO SSS (SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEM) BUT TO GSIS (GOVERNMENT SERVICE INSURANCE SYSTEM).
IN 1993, THERE WERE IMPROVEMENTS IN THE OPERATION SUCH AS THE REACTIVATION/COMMISSIONING OF PLARIDEL & RIZAL WELLS, REHABILITATION OF ABAYA & DUBINAN WELLS.
IN 1995, SANWAD WAS REQUIRED TO SUBMIT ITS LIST OF PERSONNEL TO THE DBM (DEPARTMENT OF BUDGET AND MANAGEMENT) AND THE DBM ISSUED A POSITION ALLOCATION LIST (PAL) TO SANWAD. SANWAD WAS CATEGORIZED AS A MEDIUM WATER DISTRICT.
IN JULY 2001, THE SANTIAGO WATER DISTRICT (SANWAD) ENTERED INTO A FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE CONTRACT WITH THE LOCAL WATER UTILITIES ADMINISTRATION (LWUA) AMOUNTING TO THREE HUNDRED THIRTY EIGHT MILLION SIXTY TWO THOUSAND PESOS (PHP338,062,000.00) TO FINANCE THE COMPREHENSIVE WATER SUPPLY IMPROVEMENT & EXPANSION PROJECT. THIS PROJECT WAS A LOAN PACKAGE FROM THE JAPAN BANKS INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION (JBIC) AND WAS MADE POSSIBLE THRU THE LWUA. THE PROJECT INCLUDED THE FOLLOWING: (1) CONSTRUCTION OF TEN DEEP WELLS WITH A PRODUCTION OF 12,960 M3/DAY AT 18 HOURS OPERATION; (2) SIX DEEP WELLS WITH A PRODUCTION OF 5,978 M3/DAY AT 18 HOURS OPERATION, EQUIPPED WITH A CENTRALIZED IRON REMOVAL PLANT WITH A PRODUCTION OF 18,156 M3/DAY ON A 24-HOUR-OPERATION; (3) CONSTRUCTION OF A WATER TREATMENT PLANT (WTP), WITH A CAPACITY OF 19,000 M3/DAY; (4) ELEVATED RESERVOIRS WITH A CAPACITY OF 1,500 M3/DAY; (5) SIX BOOSTER PUMPS AND A SUMP TANK; AND (5) LAYING OF NEW PIPELINES. THE TOTAL PROJECT COST WAS PHP 317,436 MILLION.
FROM 2001 UP TO JUNE 2002, THE SANWAD IMPLEMENTED IN ADVANCE FROM ITS OWN COFFER SOME OF THE PROJECT COMPONENTS SUCH AS: (1) DRILLING OF FOUR (4) ADDITIONAL WELLS AT BARANGAY MABINI, SAN ANDRES, BATAL & DIVISORIA; (2) LAYING OF 7-KILOMETER PIPELINE RANGING FROM 3” DIAMETER TO 6” DIAMETER; (3) PROCUREMENT OF LOT FOR THE WATER TREATMENT PLANT (6,600 SQ. MTRS.); LAYING OF TRANSMISSION MAINS AT BARANGAYS MALVAR, MABINI, DUBINAN, SAN ANDRES, AND RIZAL. THESE FORMED PART OF THE LOAN EQUITY WHICH WAS 10% OF THE TOTAL PROJECT COST.
IN CY 2002, BY VIRTUE OF CSC RESOLUTION NO. 021044, SANWAD WAS CONFERRED AUTHORITY TO TAKE FINAL ACTION ON APPOINTMENTS, THEREBY MAKING SANWAD AN ACCREDITED GOVERNMENT AGENCY OF THE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION. FROM THEN ON, ALL APPOINTMENTS ISSUED BY THE SANWAD GENERAL MANAGER ATTAINED FINALITY, THOUGH SUBJECT TO REVIEW AND VALIDATION OF THE CSC.
BY 2004, THE ACTUAL PHYSICAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS WERE 46.329%; PIPES LAID WERE 68.294.50 METERS. THE DIVISORIA RESERVOIR & PUMP STATION COMPLEX WERE 91.64% COMPLETE, RIZAL RESERVOIR & PUMP STATION COMPLEX WERE 77.28%, CALAOCAN RESERVOIR WAS 56,185. AS FOR THE WELLS, SIX (6) WELLS HAD BEEN DRILLED FROM THE DISTRICT’S FUNDS.
IN MAY 2006, SANWAD’S ORGANIZATION EXPANDED, THUS, IT BECAME A BIG WATER DISTRICT.
IN FEBRUARY 2007, THE COMPREHENSIVE WATER SUPPLY IMPROVEMENT & EXPANSION PROJECT WAS FINALLY INAUGURATED, NOTWITHSTANDING THAT PROJECT COMPLETION WAS ON ITS FINAL STAGE. THE WATER TREATMENT PLANT (WTP) WHICH WAS THE CENTERPIECE OF THE PROJECT BECAME OPERATIONAL EVEN PRIOR TO THE INAUGURATION.
SIMULTANEOUS WITH THE EXPANSION PROJECT WAS THE IMPROVEMENT OF OFFICE FACILITIES. FROM A COMPUTERIZED BILLING SYSTEM, THE TOTAL UTILITY BILLING SYSTEM (TUBS) WAS INTRODUCED WHERE THE MANUAL METER READING WAS SET ASIDE, AND METER READERS STARTED ISSUING COMPUTERIZED WATER BILLS RIGHT AFTER READING THE WATER METERS AND TAPPING ON THEIR PALM TAPS; AND FROM THE MANUAL WRITING OF OFFICIAL RECEIPTS, TELLERS STARTED ISSUING COMPUTERIZED OFFICIAL RECEIPTS.
IN MAY 2013, SANWAD WAS AGAIN RE-CATEGORIZED TO CATEGORY B WATER DISTRICT EXPANDING ITS ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE AND STAFFING PATTERN.
THERE WERE CONTINUING PROGRAMS TO IMPROVE THE WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM, SUCH AS THE NON-REVENUE WATER PROGRAM, REHABILITATION OF PIPELINES, REHABILITATION OF WELLS, AND MORE. THE NUMBER OF SERVICE CONNECTIONS CONTINUOUSLY INCREASED. AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2016, SANWAD’S TOTAL SERVICES ROSE TO 16,216.