NO HOLDS BARRED: Let’s Support Water Cooperatives

I have been an idea of organizing water cooperatives, and I am glad to know that there are some good developments in that sector already. Originally, I was advocating the establishment of primary coops, but what emerged fairly recently is a secondary coop. To me, that is good enough, and that might even be better, because the capital requirement for water projects is really very high.

A primary coop is the first level type that is established directly by individuals who are the incorporators. A secondary coop is the second level type that is directly by existing primary coops. That is what happened in Cagayan de Oro, where a group of 13 coops banded together to form the Mindanao Cooperatives Water Service Federation (MCWS). Their purpose was to bring potable water to areas that are not being served by the Cagayan De Oro Water District (COWD).

It turned out to be a good idea, because soon after, MCWS won contracts to supply water to the cities of Cotabato and Bislig, also in Mindanao. I am not really sure whether the CDA had something to do with these developments, but it does have jurisdiction over primary and secondary coops. Hopefully, the CDA could harness its developmental role so that it could promote and support water cooperatives in the same way that NEA is promoting and supporting electric cooperatives.

Even in Metro Manila, water coops could work, in effect distributing for Manila Water and Maynilad.*