Statement of Senator Joel Villanueva on the waiver of water bills of Manila Water customers for the month of April

We welcome the initiative of the Manila Water Co. Inc. to waive the water bill of its customers for the month of April considering the water interruption in its concession area since early this month.

This action should not preclude the regulator, MWSS Regulatory Office (MWSS-RO), to impose corresponding penalties and sanctions within the bounds of the concession agreement, which specifies service standards that the company must maintain, including the availability of water 24/7. The MWSS-RO should exercise its core mandate, which is to oversee the operation of its concessionaires. It has to keep a close watch on its performance and ensure both firms uphold their committed service standards.

The incident highlights the need for more technical personnel in agencies such as the MWSS and the MWSS-RO. We cannot afford another crisis of this magnitude to happen again.

We also reiterate our reminder to our concessionaires about their obligations they committed under the concession agreement. They must abide by this and maintain service standards.