1 “Developments in the Global Waterfront and the Water Privatization Situation in Asia and the Philippines”
In recent years, neoliberal globalization has become the monster we have anticipated, wreaking havoc on our economy, politics, culture and sovereignty as a people. This phenomenon has become more pervasive than ever before through aggressive promotion by the international financial institutions working hand in hand with the World Trade Organization (WTO). Privatization is a key strategy of capitalist globalization. With privatization of public utilities, particularly water, our right to water is put to a greater risk. There is no evidence yet that tells us that capitalism as a world-system prioritizes people’s welfare above profit. While the painful effects of water privatization in the Asia Pacific Region are already being felt, there is a great possibility that we will sink even more to greater misery. On top of the burden of debt payments, additional taxes, and inadequate social services, poor water services by private companies place us at the losing end. We, as consumers, are the ones paying for these companies’ failures, their misguided judgments and decisions and miscalculations. The Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) privatization is the classic example of how water privatization failed us. And yet, international financial institutions (IFIs) continuously push for policies and initiatives that support privatization leading to unreasonably higher water rates but inefficient services and delivering water of poor quality. We consumers are held in bondage when an inefficient and mismanaged water company like MAYNILAD goes bankrupt and is unable to pay its debt obligations to MWSS and its creditors and the government under MacapagalArroyo prefers to bail out this company at our expense. Recent developments in the World Trade Organization (WTO) and ongoing discussions related to the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) make them the latest mechanisms for the privatization and globalization of services and utilities. Multinational companies have entered the picture and found a way to ride on the issue of water scarcity by making available in the market, bottled water – yet the very item that will contribute further to making water scarce for people in their communities. These developments will make the battle even more difficult. Water resources and services are fast becoming commodified and the concept of water as public good and for the common good of all will become more blurred. Today’s forum reflects the strong opposition to water privatization. The forum is entitled, “Developments on the Global Waterfront and the Water Privatization in Asia and the Philippines.” and is organized by Jubilee South/ Asia Pacific Movement on Debt
Public Forum held on April 6, 2006 at the U.P. CSWCD, Diliman, Quezon City
2 and Development ( APMDD ), Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC), NGO Forum on ADB and the Progresibong Alyansa ng Tagatangkilik ng Tubig sa Kamaynilaan ( PATTAK ). These organizations believe that proper information and awareness will prepare us with the appropriate strategies and actions needed to move on with our campaigns to resist and reverse water privatization. In this forum, we also aim to achieve the following:
Familiarize us with the recent developments and updates to have a better grasp of the new global players working in the water sector; Make known the latest trends, both globally and locally, that are at play in the water distribution industry, and; Analyze and popularize what has become of the sad tale of water privatization.
The realizations that are about to be revealed to us pose a tremendous challenge. As IFIs continue to impose us their loan criteria, conditionalities and economic policy prescriptions in support of water privatization, social movements are building stronger forces and intensifying efforts to oppose these policies. However, whether it be public or private ownership or control of the water sector (although the former is preferred), we must also work for better regulatory mechanisms. In the end, what we want is to find and create more democratic alternatives to respond to our growing needs, specifically, our poor communities for better water resources and services. It is said, “We can live more than a week without food, but we cannot live for a week without water.” Water is our basic human right! Let justice flow to the poorest communities! Water should be made equitably accessible to all! On behalf then of the organizing groups, I bid you welcome to this forum and to an engaging and productive discussion on the issues at hand.
Maraming Salamat.
Public Forum held on April 6, 2006 at the U.P. CSWCD, Diliman, Quezon City