Baguio: The city government and the Baguio Water District (BWD) are set to collaborate for the implementation of wastewater management services to protect public health, safeguard the environment, and comply with sanitation and environmental standards.
According to Philippines News Agency, this collaboration follows the passage of Resolutions 695-2025 and 696-2025. The resolutions request Mayor Benjamin Magalong to form a technical working group to draft a memorandum of agreement with the BWD. Additionally, the resolutions urge the utility firm to conduct a study and seek assistance from the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) for potential funding to upgrade the city's outdated Sewerage Treatment Plant (STP).
Vice Mayor Faustino Olowan noted that the resolutions aim to address Baguio's wastewater challenges, expressing confidence that necessary actions will be undertaken to resolve the issues. The measures, passed last Monday, focus on improving wastewater management and addressing pollution in the Balili River in neighboring La Trinidad, which could lead to penalties against the city government.
Olowan highlighted that under Presidential Decree 198, local water districts like the BWD are mandated to provide potable water and manage wastewater disposal systems. However, Councilor Peter Fianza pointed out that a 2012 LWUA circular requires all water districts to implement septage management programs by 2020, a requirement not yet met by the BWD.
Fianza emphasized that since 80 percent of the water distributed by the BWD becomes wastewater, the district cannot separate itself from the issue. He stressed the urgency of coordination between the city and the BWD, as mandated by law, particularly since the city's wastewater disposal system remains unresolved due to funding issues for the STP rehabilitation. This situation risks penalties for draining wastewater into the Balili River.
Meanwhile, the BWD stated that its focus remains on water production and distribution and that it awaits the city's plan to rehabilitate the STP before establishing its own wastewater management program.
