Manila Water’s 24/7 water supply keeps small businesses afloat

An employee at Issa’s Eatery in Antipolo City washes dishes directly from the tap, a convenience that was not available when they opened their business back in 2006. Today, the carinderia, along with thousands of other small businesses in the East Zone, thrives with the help of a 24/7 supply of clean, potable water. Photo from Manila Water

MANILA, Philippines — Business has not always been manageable for Marissa Sabusap owner of Issa’s Eatery along Marcos Highway in Antipolo City.

Back in 2006, when Marissa and her husband started their humble eatery, water in their area was hard to come by. They relied heavily on small contractors delivering containers of water. She recalls having to deal with grime forming in the containers—a sign of poor water filtration. This made the routine tasks of washing dishes, cleaning and sanitizing the establishment, and providing drinking water for their customers doubly tough and costly.

Things started to look up in September 2009 when Manila Water laid pipes in their area. Marissa was one of the happiest in her community. This meant she could finally breathe easily and not worry about essentials that involve water in her eatery.

Aside from enjoying a 24/7 reliable supply of water, Marissa and her community are assured they get it clean and potable.

“Araw-araw kaming kumukuha ng sample (we get water samples everyday),” Manila Water Laboratory Services (MWLS) Field Analyst Christopher Walo said.

MWLS is an ISO/IEC 17025:2005 Certified laboratory, assuring that tests done meet international standards. Moreover, MWLS is accredited by the Department of Health (DOH) to perform chemical, physical, and microbiological analysis even on water samples taken outside of Metro Manila’s East Zone.

“[L]alo na sa panahon ng pandemic, importante na malinis ang tubig na pino-provide lalo na sa mga business owners (especially amidst a pandemic, providing clean water is important especially to business owners),” MWLS Analytical Service Specialist Sophia Aborot shared.

The reliability of service and quality of water they get in their taps has helped Marissa achieve success in her now thriving carinderia. “Bukod sa masarap, kailangan malinis (not just tasty, but clean),” Marissa said recalling the improvements they have experience since 2009.

For Marissa, earning her customers’ trust is the lifeline of her business. Having clean, potable water readily available on tap just makes it possible.

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