EMB Negros halts water treatment plant over violations

By Cris Fernan Bayaga
Bulatlat.com

CEBU CITY – The Department of of Environment and Natural Resources – Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) in the Negros Island Region has issued a cease-and-desist order on the Bacolod – Murcia Sum-Ag Water Treatment Plant and Caliban Water Facility of Bacolod Bulk Water Inc. (BBWI) in Barangay Abo-Abo, Murcia, Negros Occidental.

This is after nearly three months of operations since it was launched on January 19.

*BBWI showcases inauguration materials for the newly established Sum-Ag Water Treatment Plant and Caliban Water Facility on January 19 (Photo courtesy of*
*DENR Negros Island Region)*

BBWI, a subsidiary of Tubig Filipinas Group Inc. led by Dexter Tiu, expanded its Caliban River Water Intake Facility as part of the second phase of their construction, also known as the Water Supply Injection 2 Expansion Project, without securing amendments to its Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC).

Citing findings by La Viña, Zarate & Associates (LVZ Law), counsel for the barangay officials who filed the complaint, the DENR-EMB said the company failed to secure a discharge permit (DP) for its facility and a permit to operate (PTO) for its pollution source equipment.

These violations contravene the Philippine Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) System.

Following the violations, BBWI was ordered to pay P70,000 ($1,177) in fines for noncompliance with environmental requirements governing water treatment facilities.

During the project’s inauguration, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. described the facility as “aligned with climate resilience and sustainable development” to provide local communities reliable water supply.

President Marcos Jr. delivers an address to BBWI representatives, local government officials, and DENR personnel during the official unveiling of the water treatment plant (Photo courtesy of DENR Negros Island Region)

BBWI is the water supplier for Bacolod City Water District (BACIWA) – PrimeWater, according to an August 2025 report by Paghimutad.

The report highlighted how BACIWA – National Federation of Labor Unions (NAFLU) denounced the illegal termination of over 59 employees, alongside residents’ complaints that the water they were getting was “dark, smelly, and contaminated.”

*Members of the BACIWA Employees Union – NAFLU held a press conference on August 6, 2025, to denounce the illegal termination practices of BACIWA – PrimeWater (Photo courtesy of Paghimutad)*

Similar water treatment models from BBWI are being implemented in several parts of the country, including Nueva Ecija, Samar, Camarines Sur, Isabela, Cavite, Palawan, Pangasinan, and Cebu. (AMU, JDS)

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