President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. vowed to hold water district officials and their joint venture partners accountable amid mounting public complaints on poor water service.
During his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, July 28, Marcos revealed that over six million consumers nationwide are affected by the poor water service in various parts of the country.
“Marami kaming natatanggap na reklamong hindi manlang daw umaabot ang tubig sa kanilang mga gripo. Sa lawak ng reklamo, lampas anim na milyong consumer sa buong bansa ang kasalukuyang naapaektuhan,” Marcos said, assuring the public that the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) is taking the necessary steps to improve the water service nationwide.
“Titiyakin ng LWUA na mailalagay na sa ayos ang sebisyo ng tubig ng milyon-milyong nating mga kababayan at gawin mas abot kaya naman ang presyo,” the President stated.
“Higit sa lahat, titiyakin nating mapapanagot ang mga nagpabaya at mga nagkulang sa mahalagang serbisyong publiko na ito,” he added.
Last May, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro stressed during a press briefing that Marcos is “duty-bound” to address the public’s concerns.
Among those who have raised complaints against the Villar family-owned PrimeWater are residents from Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Bohol, and Pangasinan.
Marcos ordered LWUA a month before to investigate the mounting consumer complaints against the said water district concerning water supply delivery and high water charges. It was also ordered to investigate PrimeWater’s 73 joint venture agreements with local water districts nationwide.
