No water shortage in Metro Manila this year

MANILA – Metro Manila will have enough water supply for the public this year with the dry season’s peak fast approaching, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said Thursday.

Nograles said the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) made this assurance during Wednesday night’s Cabinet meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte.

“According to the MWSS Chair and OIC Admin Reynaldo Velasco, we expect to have a sufficient supply of water this year in Metro Manila. Wala ho tayong water shortage dito sa Maynila (There won’t be a water shortage in Manila),” Nograles said in a virtual presser.

He said the MWSS is also taking steps to ensure adequate water supply this summer and is working to fast-track several projects that will address the water requirements of Metro Manila in the long run.

These projects are The New Centennial Water Source or Kaliwa Dam project, the Long-Term Water Source Development for Metro Manila project or the Upper-Kaliwa and Kanan River, the East Bay Water Supply Project Phase 1 and Phase 2, the Wawa-Calawis Water Supply Project Phase 1 and Phase 2.

“Altogether these projects will be able to supply a total of 1.368 million liters per day,” he said.

In March 2019, rotation water service interruptions hit Metro Manila and nearby areas.

President Rodrigo Duterte threatened to fire MWSS officials and revoke the contracts with water concessionaires Manila Water and Maynila.

The two water concessionaires said the rotational water service interruptions were caused by the continued drop in Angat and Ipo dams’ water level.

Last November, Duterte directed the Department of Justice to discuss with the two water concessionaires about the proposed revision of their existing contracts.

Finishing touches

Nograles said the government is making “finishing touches” on proposed new water concession agreements with Maynilad and Manila Water which Duterte approved last year.

“Abangan natin ang latest developments tungkol dito. Pero yung inatas ni Pangulong Duterte (Let’s wait for the latest development about this. But President Duterte directed the concerned agency) to work out the new concession agreements are already within their final stages, finishing touches na lang po (is all that’s left),” he said.

Nograles assured that the Department of Justice (DOJ) “knows(s) what to do.”

“This is being finalized, finishing touches na lang then ‘yun nga pakikipag-negotiate na (are left and then negotiation),” he added.

New deals were pushed by Duterte after he ordered the review of the government’s existing deals in 2019.

The revision process is eyed to do away with lopsided arrangements unfavorable to consumers which include provisions that left them with no choice but to shoulder billions of pesos in corporate income taxes.

A DOJ panel of reviewers found numerous onerous provisions in the water concession agreements with the two water concessionaires.

This stemmed from a decision of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in Singapore which directed the Philippine government to pay PHP7.4 billion to Manila Water and PHP3.4 billion to Maynilad for the losses they suffered from unenforced water rate increases.