TACLOBAN CITY – Water concessionaires in this city welcomed the move of Malacañan Palace to order an investigation into the operations of PrimeWater Infrastructure Corporation (PWIC), following mounting complaints of poor service quality.
“It would be good if this investigation pushes through—maybe we’ll finally get some help,” said Lorna Sabusao, a resident of Kapuso Village and a PrimeWater customer since 2014. She shared that while water still flows from their faucets, the supply is irregular and sometimes comes out discolored.
“It’s really difficult when there’s no regular water supply—the sink and toilet get filthy,” Sabusao said, adding that despite the unreliable service, her monthly water bill reaches nearly P800.
Jessica Bahinting, a resident of Barangay 106 Sto. Niño, also expressed support for the investigation ordered by Malacañan, saying consumers like her deserve transparency on how PrimeWater computes monthly billing charges.
Bahinting, who sells water atP4 per container, said she was shocked to receive a bill of over P11,000—significantly higher than her previous bill of P8,600—despite experiencing frequent water interruptions in the past month.
PrimeWater entered into a 25-year joint venture agreement with the Leyte Metropolitan Water District (LMWD) in 2019, with the goal of reducing system losses and improving water service in Tacloban City and the towns of Palo, Sta. Fe, Tanauan, Tolosa, Tabontabon, Dagami, and Pastrana.
The agreement, valued at over P6 billion, covered the financing, development, rehabilitation, expansion, and operation of the water supply and septage management systems.
However, five years into the agreement, LMWD general manager Ronnie Cornico announced that the LMWD Board of Directors had decided to terminate the partnership, citing PrimeWater’s failure to deliver on key service commitments outlined in the contract.
Cornico said several complaints had already been filed with PrimeWater, but these were seemingly ignored. He also emphasized that the investigation ordered by Malacañan is not politically motivated, despite PrimeWater being owned by the Villar family.
“This is not about politics,” Cornico said. “There are just too many customers and water districts raising the same concerns about PrimeWater’s poor service.”
Tingog Party-list Representative Jude Acidre also weighed in, saying President Marcos’ action is a matter of good governance.
“The fact is, it’s a public utility,” Acidre said. “Regardless of who owns or runs the concession, they have a responsibility to ensure regular monitoring and assessment of operations. The president is simply upholding the law.”
Acidre added that being a public utility, PrimeWater should be subject to routine inspections and evaluations—even before problems arise.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
