City Council invites MCWD to shed light on proposed rate supply increase

CEBU, Philippines - The Metropolitan Cebu Water Disrict will have to appear in a public hearing scheduled by the Cebu City Council on May 7 despite the agency’s request to cancel it.

MCWD general manager Armando Paredes said they have planned to conduct public information dissemination for their concessionaires to discuss their proposal for a water rate increase.

But according to the city councilors, more should be done regarding the matter.

“Information dissemination is not enough,” said Councilor Alvin Dizon.

Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella said they will send MCWD an invitation to attend a public hearing.

Dizon, who chairs the Council committee on Local Housing, stressed that the city is within its power to call for a public hearing especially on issues of public importance.

Councilor Gerardo Carillo agreed, saying that it is also a primordial responsibility of the city Government to conduct the hearing on the proposed water rate increase with MCWD, especially that the bulk of its customers are from Cebu City.

Paredes, in a letter to the council dated April 14, said they will conduct the information dissemination as soon as the Local Water and Utilities Administration will act on their request for approval of the water rate increase.

He said the information will reach its service areas that include four cities and four municipalities.

Once the 12 percent increase is approved, the current water rate of P13.60 per cubic meter will become P15.

“We believed that the conduct of the public hearing which your office proposed will not serve the purpose of info dissemination as it is specifically for the constituents of Cebu City only,” said Paredes.

Consumer groups, non-government organizations and the rest of the stakeholders are invited to the public hearing, which will push through on May 7 at the administrative building of the Cebu City Hall.  (FREEMAN)