Last Monday, May 4, 2026, was the 26th death anniversary of the Tribune’s founder, Fredeswindo Tomagan Gianan Sr., whose son Councilor Fred Jr. and grandson PBM Fred Benedict inherited his political genes.
He succumbed to pancreatic cancer five months after doctors spotted the growth during a routine angioplasty procedure in a Manila hospital.
In October 2025, he was joined in the Lord’s embrace by our beloved Mama, Zune Arcilla Gianan.
Our gratitude to family members, relatives, friends and common people who still remember him and his legacy in community journalism in the island province of Catanduanes.
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Both the 1,500 concessionaires and the current Baras Water District management are victims of the past BWD management’s failure to pay for the loan granted by the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) in 2009.
It is inconceivable that the past board of directors did not bother to pay for the monthly amortizations of the loan.
To understand why, one would have dig deeper into the matter, particularly on the amount of the original loan granted to BWD, the interest applied by LWUA, the required monthly amortization, and how the orifinal loan ballooned to P25 million in 2026.
In response to the public’s howl of protest against the abrupt increase in the minimum charge from P40 to P200, the Sangguniang Bayan led by Vice Mayor Rico Tating passed a resolution requesting LWUA for a reconsideration of the rate increase and recommending a flat P100 charge.
Last December 2025, LWUA Administrator Jose Moises F. Salonga denied the request, saying such a reduction in rate can jeopardize the continued operation of the water district.
He stressed that the tariff adjustments were approved after the conduct of a public hearing and a comprehensive evaluation of BWD’s financial obligations, operational costs, and service capacity, based on the key principles of adequacy, affordability, equitability and enforceability.
The increase would finance the payment of delayed salaries and benefits to BWD employees and the implementation of capital expenditure programs such as source development, service area expansion and upgrading of treatment facilities, as well as repair of infrastructure facilities destroyed by super typhoon Rolly in 2020.
In a letter to BWD chairman Jennie T. Arcilla last February, the LWUA administrator expressed sympathies with the district’s difficult situation and encouraged BWD to explore alternative measures to meet its cash requirements.
Among these were a subsidy from the LGU and adoption of cost-cutting measures such as reducing operation and maintenance expenses,” should the water district stagger its implementation of the approved rates” to ensure it will still be sufficient to cover its operational and financial obligations.
The people of Baras don’t know if BWD will be able to stagger the increased rates.
But they need to know why the original loan grew to P25 million. More about this issue next week.
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WHAT WAS THAT AGAIN? Two elderly ladies had been friends for many decades. Over the years they had shared all kinds of activities and adventures. Lately, their activities had been limited to meeting a few times a week to play cards.
One day they were playing cards when one looked at the other and said, “Now don’t get mad at me…..I know we’ve been friends for a long? time…..but I just can’t think of your name. I’ve thought and thought, but I can’t remember it. Please tell me what your name is.”
Her friend glared at her. For at least three minutes she just stared and glared at her. Finally, she said, “How soon do you need to know?”