Entrepreneurial Farmer

Ambrosio R. Villorente

MKWD Suspends Water Rate Increase

The Board of Directors and Management of the Metro Kalibo Water District (MKWD) has suspended the imple-mentation of the water rate per cubic meter increase. The increase should have been effective in January 2011 or in the water bills in February for the Kalibo water consumers.

In an announcement over radio station RGMA DYRU Kalibo, Atty. Edmund Peralta, BOD – MKWD chairman announced the indefinite suspension of water rate increase. They will wait for the right time to implement the said increase.

According to Atty. Peralta, there are several negative comments they received on the water rate increase. He did not mention what are those negative remarks against the rate increase.
It is assumed that Atty. Peralta believes MKWD has been gaining huge annual income and therefore rate increase is not needed. Atty. Peralta may also believed that the officials and employees of MKWD are among the best paid in terms of salaries and other fringe benefits while the water consumers are hard up earning money to pay their bills.

But above all, Atty. Peralta exhibited his love to his fellowmen. He understands the difficulties our people are experiencing in their economic life.

Why extract some more blood from those who have less and are many for transfusion to a few who have more?

Mot & Academic

The Civil Action No. 9051 for Certiorari With Status Quo or Temporary Restraining Order With Preliminary Injunction filed against MKWD became mot and academic with the suspension of the water rate increase. The petitioners are Atty. Niovady M. Marin and Augusto G. Solmirano. It was raffled to Branch 2, Regional Trial Court, Kalibo.

NW Fishery Code

One very important local legislation is the "Revised Municipal Fishery Code of the Municipality of New Washington". This is New Washington (NW) Ordinance No. 2010 – 01 enacted by SB New Washington on Dec. 14, 2010 during its 42nd Regular Session presided by Vice Mayor Jean T. Velarde. The said ordinance was approved with the presence of all SB members therefore of unanimous approval.

SB Secretary Mars C. Regalado signed and "certified correct" the said NW Fishery Code, Vice Mayor Jean T. Velarde signed "noted" and Mayor Edgar R. Peralta approved it.

The ordinance is now pending action with the Aklan SP. It was referred to some committees such as on Laws, and Environment which met on January 10, 2011. They gave "no action taken" on the code due to the absence of Quorum.

Going over the said New Washington Municipal Fishery Code, several negative con-clusions can be drawn. I believe legislations are pro-people, but it is unfortunate that this NW Fishery Code if approved and implemented will work against the people for whom it is intended.

I believe the intension is noble but the result is retrogression. It will work against the people. The ultimate victims will be the food consumers, all the people in the community. It will increase cost of pro-duction, reduce products quality, interfere business transactions characterized by retrogressive taxation. Our analysis of some provisions of this Fishery Code will come out next issue. /MP