Manila Times, Mar. 26, 2019, Militants File Complaints Vs Manila Water.pdf

C,ltt Manila @imw w llir w. r'*,1 * fi i I * * I ryi * $. n e t Tuesday, March 26, 2019

Militants file complaint vs Manila Water MILITANT groups, acting as consrmers of Manila Water Co. Inc., filed a petirion on Mondd) ,rsking rhe Mel

ropolitan \{aterworks and

Sewerage

System (MWSS) Regulatory Of6ce to

hold the Ayalaled urility to account for the n arer shorLage in pans

oIMeUo

Manila and Rizal prolince.

Y,f*rnlplaintAS

NCOMPLAINT FROM

A1

Tysaid his of6ce would review the content of the petition fint.

"l

Militant

hope you understand that

we are bound by the concession

agreem€nt. What we can do is

The petition, which soughtpenalties on Manila Water, was filed by Bagong Alyansang Makabayan

Secretary Ceneral Renato Reyes h and Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate, along with three other consumers. The petitioners asked the MWSS to impose several perialties including rebates for consuniers,

noncollection ofthe waterbill for March and waiving of the basic charge which is P86. 'Maymmulo man owala ngipo, sisingilin ka ngbasic charge (You will be charged even without water flowing in lour faucets).' Reya said.

"Now we are also asking the regulatory office to have Manila

limited, " Ty said. Sen. Cmce Poe on Monday said

ofManilaWater Company Inc. to their customers who the apology

were inconvenienced by the recent

water shortage would be "best expressed in monetary value."

Poe, chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Services, said the MWSS must be vigilant

in seeing to it that the people would not be shortchanged by the computation of the bill reduction.

"Manila water can absorb it, their income will notdry up. lt is a drop in thelr bucket ofprofits. An apology is best expressed rnonetaily," Poe said. 'Manila Water

should not be reaping profits

if

Water comDensate for rhe losses

the taps have run dry"

of ttre pudlic.,.ihi equivalent of a one-month bill is so small

The Management Association of the Philippines weighed in on the

compared to the actual expenses incuned by the different house-

matter, saying: 'The concession ftamework and existing regulatory provisions provide accountability

holds," he added. One ofthe petitioners, Tandang Sora resident and University of the Philippines Manila professor Reginald Vallejos, said that during the water interruptiong he bought drum for storage at P 1,300, water jugs at P800 and drinking water refills at P30 each. a

Valleios said he was also forced

to skip work to collect water and find a temporary shelter for bathing and other water needs for his childrenwho needed to go to school. He sald regular water service had yet to return. "That prompted me to coordinate and ioin the petition to get the accountability ofManila Water for what has happened," he said. MWSS Chief Regulator Patrick

\

measures for both the concerned public and private parties." The group ofexecutiveg howwer, said: 'While disappointment and anger are understandable reactions,

we should recognize that the water

service interruption is not a total

failure ofthe qntem. "Looking to the future, we also negd to secure a secondary water source to address the growing needs of Metro Manila and its surrounding areas. Many lessons can be leamed liom this unfortunate episode and, hopefully, they will be employed to further improve the service and avoid a recurrence in the future," it said. DIVINA NOVA JOY DELA CRUZAND BERNADETTE E. TAMAYO

'+Bodr PAQa'/