Mayor Benjamin Magalong reconstituted the Local Drinking Water Quality Monitoring Committee and created the Local Drinking Water Quality Monitoring Task Force to spearhead the implementation of measures to safeguard water quality and ensure availability of clean and safe drinking water for residents.
In Executive Order 4, s. 2024, the mayor revitalized the monitoring committee with him at the helm.
Members are Acting City Health Officer, Dr. Celia Flor Brillantes, who will also act as action officer; Councilor Betty Lourdes Tabanda in her capacity as chair of the city council committee on health and sanitation; Councilor Benny Bomogao who chairs the city council committee on public utilities; Youth Councilor John Rhey Mananeng; City Engineer Edgar Victorio Olpindo; City Environment and Parks Management Officer Rhenan Diwas; Baguio Water District General Manager Salvador Royeca, Department of Health Cordillera Engineer III Julius Solano; Baguio Association of Purified and Mineral Water Refillers Inc. Atty. Nellie Olairez; People’s Council Chair Marlene de Castro; and Philippine Society of Sanitary Inspectors president Engr. Nancy Ulep with CHSO Sanitation Officer Robert Bruce Colewan as secretary.
The committee will assume the following responsibilities:
Evaluate the results of water sampling and testing conducted by the DOH-accredited water laboratories according to the Philippine National Standards for Drinking Water;
Develop, formulate and implement drinking water quality surveillance program;
Advocate and create awareness on the importance of drinking water quality standards, impact of water contamination on health and control measures on addressing water quality issues and problems;
Provide quarterly updates on the quality of drinking water quality in the city;
Recommend the approval or recommendation of certificate of potability of drinking water of commercial water sources as well as legislative and administrative measures to ensure water quality;
Enforce the provisions of Presidential Decree 856, DOH Administrative Orders 2017-0010 and 2022-22 provisions on drinking water quality; and
Monitor compliance with the Philippine National Standards for Drinking Water.
On the other hand, the task force will be headed by Colewan, being the acting sanitation officer with members council committee on barangay affairs chair Councilor Rocky Aliping, Baguio City Police Office City Director Francis Bulwayan Jr., Public Order and Safety Division Health Enforcer Daryll Kim Longid, City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office Head Charles Bryan Carame, and City Environment and Parks Management Office Engr. III Sofronio Pascua.
The task force will monitor compliance to the requirement for drinking water service providers to regularly submit water samples for testing by DOH-accredited testing laboratories as well as to the existing standards imposed by concerned government agencies and conduct regular or immediate sanitary surveys in times when there is a potential cause of contamination. – Aileen P. Refuerzo
