Administrative
The water system of Batac City, Ilocos Norte was constructed in 1969 by the defunct National Water and Sewerage Authority (NAWASA). Due to mismanagement, NAWASA declared bankruptcy and its management and operation was turned-over to the Municipality of Batac using flat rate in billing concessionaire’s water consumption. In the early 80’s condition of service continued to worsen because the needs of the concessionaires were not met, water quality was unsatisfactory, water pressure was inadequate and reliability of service was poor.
And cognizant of the need to have sufficient, safe and potable water to the people of Batac, the Sangguniang Bayan Members of Batac in its special session last November 15, 1982 passed and approved Resolution No. 127 creating Batac Water District by virtue of Presidential Decree (PD) 198 otherwise known as the Provincial Utilities Act of 1973. The main objective was to upgrade the quality of service and to develop the adequacy of water supply.
Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) awarded Batac Water District its Conditional Certificate of Conformance (CCC) No. 250 on September 26, 1983 after the requirements for the certification program were completed. The CCC entitles the Batac Water District to all the rights and privileges under PD 198.
And as such, the Batac Water District has 11 plantilla positions of which there were 7 positions filled as of December 31, 2014. The General Manager, Maria Dohna D. Sagun was appointed as such last June 23, 2014 with the following Management Staff: Senior Accounting Processor A, Ms. Imelda G. Tutaan, Accounting Processor B, Ms. Maizel Maia V. Castro, Water Resources Facilities Operator C, Mr. Edilberto M. Camangeg, Jr., Utilities Customer Service Assistant E, Mr. Joel A. Castro, Water Resources Facilities Operator C, Mr. Dino S. Sagun and Utility Worker B, Mr. Otis Visan P. Corpuz. All the above-mentioned employees are with permanent status excluding the General Manager who is serving in a coterminous status. The permanent employees passed the qualification standards set by the Civil Service Commission for their respective positions. The General Manager despite having a coterminous status passed the qualification standards set by the Civil Service Commission for a General Manager in a water district with small/D Category. The District has also five (5) Job Order workers detailed at the Technical (3) and Administrative (2) Sections. As of December 31, 2014 the District has 1,624 active service connections hence employee ratio is 1: 135 (one employee per 135 connections/concessionaires). The BWD is strictly adhering in the hiring and promotion policies pursuant to office mechanisms set the District and duly approved by the Civil Service Commission. The Civil Service Commission has already approved the Strategic Performance Management System (SPMS) of the Batac Water District.
The Board of Directors is the policy-making body of the District. It is composed of representative from each of the community sectors as mandated by PD 198. It is chaired by Dr. Francisca N. Caluya who represents the Professional Sector. Other members as of December 31, 2014 are:
- Mrs. Aurora V. Lumang, Vice-Chairman, represents the Women Sector;
- Mr. Warlito A. Rigonan, Board Secretary, represents the Education Sector;
- Mr. Nestor C. Casela, Board Member, represents the Civic-Oriented Sector; and
- Mr. Jesus Ariel R. Garcia, Board Member, represents the Business Sector.
The Board of Directors for the year 2014 passed and approved 26 resolutions with Resolution No. 14 (policy on the provision of allowance for doubtful accounts) and Resolution No. 17 (amended policy on application fee) as new policies governing the District’s operation.
The Management of the Batac Water District updated its Citizen’s Charter due to the retirement of one employee responsible for the frontline services offered by the District and the new rate for application fee pursuant to BOD Resolution No. 17 series of 2014. The bulletin type of the Citizen’s Charter of the District is posted at the façade of the BWD office included also are the vision and mission statements, service pledge and feedback and redress mechanisms. Forms on complaints, maintenance and service requests, commendations etc. are also available at the Public Assistance Desk. The office also maintains records on customer complaints, billing and collection, delinquencies in payment of water bills, meter histories, service connections, equipment histories, equipment downtime, bacteriological tests, chlorine residual test, physical and chemical tests, system pressure, leak reports, unaccounted water, water production, valve and pipeline location general accounting, stock inventory, employees’ record and minutes of the Board meetings.
The Commission on Audit conducted audit of 2014 business transactions and had their exit conference last February 4, 2015.
The Management in a monthly basis submits to the Civil Service Commission reports on accession and separation, Project DIBAR and Agency Capability Evaluation Card.
The Management in a monthly basis prepares reports on Income Statement, Balance Sheet, Statement of Cash flow, Monthly Data Sheet and Summary Report on Bacteriological Test pursuant to National Government Accounting System (NGAS) and LWUA policies respectively.
For the professional growth of the Board and the Management Staff, they were sent to seminars, trainings, conventions and other enhancement programs. Gender and development programs for the Management Staff were also implemented.
The Management also submitted the requirements needed for the Tourism and Saling Tubig Projects to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and to the National Anti-poverty Commission (NAPC) respectively.
The Batac Water District is particular in protecting its water sources that sustain the concessionaires and the communities. The District started its “adopt a site” and tree planting activities 15 years ago and this is one way of celebrating its founding anniversary. For 2014, the Board and the Management Staff planted 100 mahogany seedlings along infiltration gallery 1, 2 and 3 and implemented clean up drive along Quiaoit River. Though the concern of the men and women of the District is water sustainability they also believe that they should work hand in hand with the community to better manage water resources.
Financial/Commercial
The Batac Water District maintained strong balance sheet and cash flow for the year-end 2014 and this did not come easy, it is a tale of love or passion for work, labor, effort, commitment and hard work by the Board and the Management Staff. And along with positive growth momentum led the Board of Directors to authorize Christmas gift packs and year-end incentives to employees whether permanent or job order and other business and community partners pursuant to Resolution No. 21 and Resolution No. 22 series of 2014 respectively.
For the year-end 2014, the District has a net income of P 837,136.34 with total budgetary outlay as Operating Outlay of P 8,734,027.00; Capital Outlay of P 1,450,000.00; Debt Service of P 2,764,214.00 and Reserve of P 482,808.00.
For the same one-year period, the District’s gross revenue was broken down as follows:
- Collection from water sales P 10,115,579,53.
- Other water revenues 369,106.98
- Other non-operating income 871.15
- Proceeds from LWUA loans 2,628,117.00
- Other Revenues 181,960.45
For the same one-year period, the District’s expenditures were broken down into:
a) O & M expenses including depreciation P 8,665,237.75
b) Capital Outlay 4,284,837.89
c) Annual Debt Servicing 1,540,321.23
The Batac Water District has seven (7) permanent employees with total salaries and emoluments of P 2,794,198.15 and five (5) Job Order workers with a total wages of P 323,131.25 for the 2014 period.
All the pumping equipment of the Batac Water District is powered by electricity and generator set is used when there is power interruption. The total expenses for power/fuel for pumping equipment for the year 2014 is P 1,598,715.65.
The total billing for 2014 current and old accounts is P 10,530,677.58. And the total amount collected from water sales only for 2014 is P 8,663,124.48 for the current billings and P 1,779,178.90 from arrears. The total amount uncollected at year’s end excluding bad debts is P 984,520.02. For 2014, the total revenue is P 554,404.31.
The Management has received 682 complaints through walk-in and phone and all these were processed and settled within the Management level.
The existing water rates of the Batac Water District were approved by LWUA last June 23, 2005 and were presented in a public hearing last November 10, 2005. The water rates were implemented last May 2006 billing until at present.
Technical
Innovation for growth is as important as ever. As early as December 2013, the District started drilling two production wells designed by the Planning and Engineering Department of LWUA in Brgys. Baligat and Quiling Norte. Unfortunately, said 50m depth drilled wells were unproductive hence the Engineering Department of LWUA abandoned the same and is now subject for financial relief. This situation did not stop the Board and the Management Staff to be true to their basic goal of water sustainability in challenging times hence they requested LWUA to drill another three production wells this time with 22meters depth in Brgy. Quiling Norte known as well #3 and well #4 and in Brgy. Colo at 32m depth known as well # 5. Production well #5 started its operation last April 2014 while production wells # 3 and #4 last July 2014. The additional three production wells were big help to the District for the year 2014.
The District continues to strive for full compliance on the national standard for drinking water by improving the quality of water it provides to the community by treating the water religiously through chlorination and by way of the physical and chemical tests (annually), bacteriological test (monthly) and chlorine residual test (daily). Results of these tests conformed to the standards set by the Philippines Standard for Drinking Water. Copies of these results were given to LWUA and the City Health Office.
As of December 31, 2014 water sources facilities of the Batac Water District are three (3) infiltration galleries and six (6) drilled wells. These are located at Brgys. Payao, Colo, Parangopong, Baay and Quiling Norte. All pumping equipment of the nine water sources undertaken pump efficiency test regularly.
Operational
The water sources facilities of the District produced 360,530 cum for the year 2014 and out of the said produced water only 283,040 cum were billed and the rest were considered as non-revenue water attributed to leaks and BJMP withdrawal of water from the hydrants due to conflagration. The average per capita consumption in liters per day is 775,452. Water supply is 24/7 or 24 hours a day excluding Quiling Norte which is 12 hours/day only.
To continue the never-ending adventure of service, after the successful expansion project in Brgy. Baay, the BOD, Management and Staff continued to expand to other rural barangays. At the end of 2014, the District has 2,585 connections in which 1,624 are active connections. The Management was able to provide flow meters to every water source hence the water production is measured accurately with an average of non-revenue water for 2014 of 21.49%. Water service of Batac Water District is 24 hours a day excluding Adigi Homes located at Brgy. Quiling Norte, Batac City.
As of 2010 NSO census, Batac City has 53,542 total population and only 8,120 has access to potable water or water coming from Batac Water District.
The Batac Water District has the following equipment:
- Land Transportation Equipment:
- Two (2) units Suzuki Carry
- One (1) unit Honda TMX
- One (1) unit Hyundai Starex Van
- Other Machineries and Equipment
- Nine (9) sets pumping equipment (Submersible pump and motor)
- Two (2) generator sets located at Brgys. Baay and Payao
- One (1) unit Hilti TE-1500 Breaker
- One (1) unit water pump
- One (1) unit booster pump
- Five (5) units chlorinator machines
- Office Equipment
- One (1) unit computer desktop (Pentium 3)
- One (1) unit computer desktop (Pentium 4)
- One (1) unit Olympia Typewriter
- One (1) unit Floor-mounted Aircon
- One (1) unit money detector
- One (1) unit Fujitsu laptop
- One (1) unit Epson 3-in-1 printer
- One (1) unit Gigabyte lapto
The Management of the Batac Water District attends to maintenance and service requests such as repair of leakages, dirty water, low pressure, and high consumption immediately upon receipt of the complaint whether walk-in or through phone. Maintenance and service requests are free of charge. Voluntary disconnection of water service has without fee however the concessionaire must pay the unpaid charges before the request shall be granted. Reconnection and transfer of meter requests will not be made until it is approved by the General Manager and charges are paid.
There were 682 maintenance and service requests received by the office through walk-in and phone in the year 2014 and were all attended by the Management. Complainants are given feedback form to know if they satisfied or not with the services rendered by the District.