MANILA, Philippines — The Gabriela Women’s Partylist on Thursday called out the water rate hike proposed by Manila Water Company Inc., which is slated to take effect by January next year.
Manila Water earlier proposed an increase in its water rates due to the fast depreciation of the Philippine peso.
Citing the water concessionaire’s proposal, Gabriela said a rate of P8.04 per cubic meter (m³) would be imposed by 2023, increasing consumers’ water bills from P26.81 per m³ to P35.86 per m³.
It added that the rate would further rise in the following years.
“Hindi makatao ang pagtaas ng singil sa tubig sa kabila ng nagtataasang presyo ng bilihin at batayang serbisyo. Kung itutuloy ito, para na ring nilunod ang mga Pilipinong halos wala ng makain sa pang araw-araw,” Gabriela Secretary General KJ Catequista said in a statement.
(The increase in charges sought for water is inhumane in the midst of rising prices of goods and services. It would be like the Filipino people, who almost have nothing to eat for their everyday, were further drowned.)
Catequista also slammed the almost annual bid of water concessionaires like Manila Water and Maynilad to increase their rates only for consumers to be provided with what, she said, were “rotten services.”
“This unprecedented water rate hike confirms the failure of water privatization and the need for public control of this essential service. Prayoridad kasi ng mga korporasyong ito ang tubo kaysa serbisyo sa mamamayan (That’s because it’s the priority of these corporations to earn profit over serving the people),” she further lamented.
Catequista then trumpeted Gabriela’s call for the Filipino people to “reject these proposed water hikes and for Congress to review the recently renewed franchises of Manila Water and Maynilad.”