ABC Pushes Drinking of Tap Water

Claiming he has been healthier when he started drinking tap water from the Metro Cebu Water District (MCWD), a senior official of the Association of Barangay Councils (ABC) in Cebu City is urging Cebu City residents to also do the same.

“Six months na karun nga kami sa among pamilya miinom gikan gyud sa tubo sa linya sa MCWD, wala na ko mupalit ug mineral water, in the six months wala may nahitabo sa amoa, maayo man” Tejero barangay Captain Joel Garganera who is also the ABC Executive Vice Pres. said during the launching of the Cebu Media Forum last Saturday held at Rajah Park Hotel.

Garganera, who claimed that he also felt stronger as a marathon runner, revealed that no less than MCWD Board Chairman Rene Mercado who first told him of the good effects of drinking tap water and from thereon he did drawing elation from MCWD General Manager Ernie Delco who was also part of the forum’s guest panelist which is being hosted by Cebu City councilor Gerry Carillo.

Delco said he is happy about the statement of Garganera prompting him to reinforce it by revealing that the tap water of MCWD is indeed safe for drinking and healthy because it has 72 essential minerals from it.

Among the minerals according to Delco is calcium which regulates the heart and good in strengthening the bones and teeth, chromium for proper metabolism, iron which aides in carrying oxygen to the body, potassium, copper among others.

To assure the public that drinking MCWD water is safe, Delco said that on a daily basis, there are least sixteen water sampling points of MCWD that is randomly placed within Metro Cebu area, Talisay City to Compostela, aimed at constantly seeing to it that the water of MCWD consumers is not hazardous.

“The LWUA (Local Waterworks Utilities Administration) is requiring us to do it strictly on a daily basis just to be sure that what you, our consumers are drinking, is safe” Delco said in Cebuano.

Garganera upped the ante by asking the commitment of councilor Carillo to pass a city ordinance which would require manufacturers of processed mineral water to label bottled water with a health advisory about the safeness of drinking tap water.

“If infant milk products are labelled as such that, breast milk is the best, then why not the bottled mineral water, would, and put on labels that tap water is also the best,” Garganera said.

Garganera is recognized by the United Nations Children Educational Fund (UNICEF) as staunch advocate of breast feeding, which enabled him to visit several places to promote the health benefits of breast feeding.

Carillo said he will look into it, which if done in Cebu City would surely elicit reaction from bottled water manufacturing plants and water refilling stations.

The Cebu Media Forum which is also being aired live through DyRC is also co-hosted by radioman and newspaper journalist Elias Bacquero and Grace Bacquero, the secretary-general of the Barangay Councilors League of the Philippines (BCLP- Cebu City Chapter) led by Atty. Raymund Garcia of barangay Camputhaw, who was also part of the guest panelist.

At least three barangay captains also appeared in the event, Jose Navarro of Punta Princesa, Francis Espares of Quiot and Willy Go of Mambaling, all from the south district of the city, where Carillo announced earlier that he is determined to faced in the elections next year Cong. Rodrigo Abellanosa, a stalwart of Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK).

Carillo along with councilor Ritchie Osmeña and Noel Wenceslao severed their ties with BO-PK last year and declared themselves independents. They have since become supportive of Mayor Michael Rama, the political rival of BO-PK leader, former Cebu City Mayor and Congressman Tomas Osmeña.