MANILA, Philippines — Senator Grace Poe on Sunday said that the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) should be able to determine whether or not water utilities “are adhering to their obligations based on their franchise” following reports of continuous water supply interruptions.
Poe, head of the Senate committee on public services, likewise urged the MWSS to take urgent actions to alleviate the effects of the planned 9-hour water supply interruption that would affect about 600,000 customers of Maynilad starting July 12.
“MWSS should not take this matter sitting down as these recurring service cuts will affect over half a million consumers,” Poe said in a statement.
“Dumadalas, humahaba ang oras at dumadami ang apektado dito sa water interruption. Hindi ito katanggap-tanggap,” she added.
(Water interruptions are becoming more frequent and longer, and the number of people affected is increasing. This is not acceptable.)
Earlier, Maynilad said that the nightly supply service interruptions were planned due to the decreasing water level of Angat Dam, which supplies 97 percent of water needs in Metro Manila.
However, Poe said Maynilad should have invested more to boost its supply capacities “to avoid being caught flat footed by increasing demand for potable water.”
“Hindi dapat umasa na lang sa lakas ng buhos ng ulan. Pag may water shortage, Angat Dam lagi ang sinisisi,” Poe said.
(They should not just rely on rainfall. When there is a water shortage, Angat Dam is always blamed.)
Poe also pointed out that MWSS and the water utilities should inform the public of their long-term and short-term solutions to the shortage, adding that authority granted to concessionaires equates to their obligation to deliver efficient service.
The senator also emphasized the need for the Department of Water Resources’ establishment “to give focus on water use, management, and sources.”
Under the bill she authored, the Department of Water Resources will be the “primary policy, planning, coordinating, implementing, monitoring and administrative entity of the executive branch of the government.”