LWUA chief says overwhelmed with consumer complaints over PrimeWater

MANILA, Philippines – The head of the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) said that they had been overwhelmed with calls received via the Office of the President’s Citizens’ Complaint Center Hotline 8888 after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered last April a probe into reports of poor water service by the Villars’ PrimeWater’s joint ventures with local water districts. 

“Over the past week, matindi pa sa tawag sa 8888 ang nakuha namin kasi mismong Presidente ang nag-advocate sa mga consumers. So, we had no choice but to act forthwith,” LWUA Administrator Jose Salonga said in a Palace briefing on Friday, June 13. 

(Over the past week, we’ve been overwhelmed with the calls we received via 8888 because it was the President himself who advocated for the consumers. We had no choice but to act forthwith.)  

After Marcos saw for himself the sorry state of toilets in two public schools in Bulacan on Monday, June 9, Salonga said the LWUA decided to act quickly on the water problem in Barihan Elementary School in Malolos City since the President wanted the water restored before classes start on June 16.

Salonga said that “apparently,” a Department of Public Works and Highways contractor damaged a water line in the area, leading to a low water pressure of less than 51%, causing water shortage or no water at all. 

“Iyong sa Malolos po kasi nahirapan nang konti kasi may complication iyon eh, naka-joint venture po iyon sa PrimeWater. So, ngayon, kami na iyong gumawa with the water district, mayroon na pong tubig ngayon,” he said. 

(The one in Malolos, we struggled a bit because there’s a complication there, it’s in a joint venture with PrimeWater. So, we were the ones who did the job with the water district, and today, there’s already water there.) 

In the case of the Tibagan Elementary School in San Miguel, Bulacan, Salonga said that the school was under the water district’s joint venture agreement with Pamana Water Corporation of Lucio Co. He said the school’s water line wasn’t connected to the water district’s main distribution line.

“Ang issue naman po doon ay hindi siya konektado doon sa main distribution line ng water district. Apparently, nasa isang deep well lang po na oversaturated na ang demand. Ang nangyari po ngayon…ay kinukumpuni at para malagay na mismo sa distribution line noong water district to ensure that there is enough pressure for water to flow effectively para naman sa tamang sanitation saka needs ng mga estudyante.“

(The issue there is that the school’s water line isn’t connected to the main distribution line of the water district. Apparently, there’s only one deep well there that’s already oversaturated by demand. Right now, they’re repairing it in order to connect the line to the main distribution line of the water district to ensure that there is enough pressure for water to flow effectively to meet the sanitation needs of students.)

In a statement, the LWUA said “San Miguel Water District and Pamana Water Corporation are coordinating with Tibagan Elementary School principal for interconnection of the school to the water supply service.”

LWUA considering takeover

Salonga said the LWUA was “already finishing” its report on consumer complaints not just in areas covered by PrimeWater joint ventures with water districts but in all water districts throughout the country. He said he had sent a memorandum to 532 water districts under the LWUA for them to report “all issues regarding water supply in their water districts.”

“We are now processing all of those reports, and we can hand it to you or share that to you once we’ve finished. Hopefully by Monday or Tuesday [next week],” he said. 

Asked if the LWUA was eyeing a takeover of areas covered by PrimeWater that had poor water service, Salonga said that while this was one of the things the agency was looking into, the priority was to address the water problems immediately.

“Now, I believe the contracting party has obligations to meet so, una, simulan natin doon. Once if hindi talaga magagawan, we’ll cross the bridge when we get there,” he said. 

(Now, I believe the contracting party has obligations to meet so, first, we should start there. Once those are not addressed, we’ll cross the bridge when we get there.)

Salonga said these water supply problems had existed even before the Marcos administration took over in June 2022 but had become worse. 

Asked why the LWUA was only acting on the problem today, Salonga said he had been administrator for only a year, “so maybe we should be asking other previous administrations, but I think, to be fair with them, they have addressed the situation, [and] also, ngayon lang yata lumala (it’s only now that it appears to have gotten worse).”

Marcos appointed Salonga, a lawyer, to head the LWUA in February 2024.

In PrimeWater service areas with consumer complaints such as in Bulacan, Cavite, and Laguna, Salonga said PrimeWater had submitted a “catch-up plan,” which the LWUA was assessing. 

“So, we’re taking a look at [whether they] can they really do this, and we are trying to match it with, [whether] is it feasible or mayroon bang mas mabilis na makakagawa nito (is there another party that can fix it faster). So, that’s what we’re looking at right now,” he said.

Asked if the situation has improved in these areas, Salonga said: “Mayroon naman daw kaunting improvement. Marginal improvement, but yet, we have to verify those things. Even iyong complaints nila ay bine-verify namin; we don’t do that haphazardly.”

(There has allegedly been a bit of an improvement. Marginal improvement, but yet, we have to verify those things. Even those complaints, we’re verifying them. We don’t do that haphazardly.)

Under his leadership, Salonga said he plans to “come up with short-term solutions as well as systemic long-term solution regarding this matter.” 

“It was unprecedented. Presidential Decree 198 did not contemplate joint ventures with water districts. So, that’s something that we have to face right now. It’s part of development and evolution of our economics,” he said.

Salonga was referring to the Provincial Water Utilities Act, signed by Ferdinand E. Marcos in 1973, which adopted a national policy that water utilities should be locally controlled and managed. It also created the LWUA. 

“Bottom line, pero titingnan muna natin all legal solutions kasi the solutions here are both commercial and legal (we’re looking at all legal solutions because the solutions here are both commercial and legal). So, again, after the President appreciates the facts of the matter, then I can elaborate and elucidate,” Salonga said.

PrimeWater Infrastructure Corporation is a private water utility firm owned by Manuel Paolo Villar, son of former senator Manny Villar, the Philippines’ richest individual according to Forbes Magazine.

According to its website, PrimeWater Infrastructure covers over 1.7 million households and is now one of the country’s largest water companies. 

The Commission on Audit has flagged a number of PrimeWater joint ventures with local water districts that were disadvantageous to the government. Most of these were signed during the Duterte administration, when the public works secretary was Mark Villar, brother of Manuel Paolo.

In a paid ad in the Inquirer on May 2, PrimeWater said it was open to having “meaningful dialogue” to resolve complaints about their service all over the country. They also committed to fully cooperate with the LWUA.

“We assure our public that we are intensifying our initiatives to address the requirements and satisfy the demand particularly in challenged service areas,” PrimeWater said. – Rappler.com