Hike in water rate to push through

CEBU, Philippines - The Metropolitan Cebu Water District has rejected the request of the Cebu City Council for the water district to defer the implementation of the 12 percent increase in water rates next year.

MCWD General Manager Ernie Delco said the hike will be substantial in the development of the firm’s services.

“Much as we would like to suspend or defer the implementation, we know for a fact that the needed increase is primarily because we need to increase the production or we need to increase the service co-verage,” Delco said.

City Councilor Sisinio Andales had said MCWD should take into consideration the burden the increase will have on the shoulders of consumers.

“What we want to request in your office for the consuming public of the City Council, if you can defer the implementation of the increase of water rate in Cebu City to another year 2016 because some of our constituents cannot afford on the increase,” Andales said.

He said suspending the implementation of the increase will not bankrupt MCWD.

In a motion approved by the Council, Councilor Alvin Dizon said the firm should study the possibility of implementing the hike on a staggered basis to minimize the “adverse effect of the water rate increase.”

While Delco admits that any increase is not welcomed by many, he said consumers must understand that the increase is necessary for MCWD to expand its services.

“It’s not about the increase, it’s about serving the unserved areas,” he said, adding, that MCWD is “even lessening the burden of the consuming public” in the future and that the effect will be adverse if MCWD will not implement the increase next year.

He reiterated the reasons why the water utility needs to increase its water rate: Fund the implementation of projects worth P4 billion, which includes the expansion of pipelines, repair of the pipelines, and that the increase will subsidize the lifeline consumers.

“If we will not implement the increase, majority of the areas which do not have water services connection of MCWD will basically buy water from the private supplier at a rate higher than what we charge,” he said.

Delco said water should be prioritized by the public, noting that what consumers pay for it is even lower than what they pay for electricity or charging mobile phones.

He said the 12 percent water rate increase is about 0.99 per day cost of increase per person as compared to P4.54 per day for power and P6.66 for charging of cellular phone per day per person.

He said the hike means that those who consume 10 cubic meters or less per month will pay P15.20 from the current rate of P13.60 or an increase of P1.60.

Delco appeared before the council in a public hearing yesterday to explain the reasons behind the increase, which will take effect next month. It will reflect in the February 1 billing cycle. — (FREEMAN)