The barrage of complaints regarding PrimeWater Infrastructure's service in San Pedro City, Laguna – and the city government’s promise to act on the issue – had encouraged San Pedronians who are serviced by other water providers to address their own grievances. Apparently, PrimeWater is not the only water service provider in San Pedro City which had fallen short of their mandate to their costumers.
Why are local government units in Laguna province letting private corporations “get away” with the management (or, more accurately, the mismanagement of) basic utilities?
This is the question the city government of San Pedro City in Laguna has to answer as it pledged action on one of the biggest problems facing the city’s residents for many decades: the poor quality of water service in the city.
What Happened To PrimeWater Pledge?
Last year, the city government led by Mayor Art Mercado made the promise to take action on the decades-long issue of the (mis)management of the water services of the San Pedro Water District (SPWD), which is currently managed by the Villar-led PrimeWater Infrastructure, Inc.
In his first State of the City Address (SOCA) last October, Mercado vowed to address the issue, saying that the city’s residents have for far too long suffered under the water service provider’s inadequate service.
In a later interview with OpinYon Laguna last October, officials of PrimeWater pledged to resolve these issues by December 2022.
“Hopefully, by the end of the year, maresolba na natin ang mga problema natin sa mga ‘upper villages’ natin after we implement these projects,” PrimeWater San Pedro City Branch Manager John Paul Pascual told OpinYon Laguna at the time.
It’s now February, and the biggest question residents serviced by PrimeWater are now asking is: "Whatever happened to that pledge?"
Take note that according to the San Pedro Public Affairs and Information Office (PAIO), PrimeWater issues still topped the list of complaints that were brought to the city government’s “Ugnayan sa San Pedro” (USaP) program.
From Dream To Nightmare?
And the barrage of complaints regarding PrimeWater’s service — and the city government’s promise to act on the issue — had apparently encouraged San Pedronians who are serviced by other water providers to address their own grievances.
Apparently, PrimeWater is not the only water service provider in San Pedro City which had fallen short of their mandate to their costumers.
Recently, residents of the St. Joseph Village subdivision complex in Barangay Langgam have reported to OpinYon Laguna the decade-long problem of water supply (or, more specifically, the lack thereof) inside their subdivisions.
The housing development, located at the western edge of San Pedro City, was constructed by homegrown real estate developer P. A. Alvarez Properties, which for years had marketed itself as a leader in providing housing for low-income and middle-class families.
P. A. Alvarez’s offer of “affordable” housing at a time of high real estate prices is too good to miss for many residents of San Pedro City, the province’s “Dormitory City,” where many blue- and white-collar workers from Metro Manila have come to call their home.
However, for residents of St. Joseph Village No. 9 and No. 10 (Phase 1), that promise of affordable housing has turned into a nightmare lasting for more than twelve years.
Water Going Drip-Drip
“Nung unang taon po ng paninirahan namin, wala naman po ng problema. Pero after that, doon na po kami nagkaroon ng problema sa supply ng tubig,” a resident of St. Joseph Village 10 who requested anonymity told OpinYon Laguna staff.
At first, residents of Phase 1 were told that their water tank had gone out of service, forcing the in-house water service provider (St. Joseph Water Services Corporation — which, incidentally, shares the same headquarters as P. A. Alvarez Properties) to source out their water from other water tanks inside the subdivision complex.
By 2022, however, the situation has far worsened, residents complained.
“Ngayon, ang water service namin ay 30 minutes na lang — mga 6:00 to 6:30 a.m. or 6:30 hanggang 7:00 a.m. Kaya lang po kami nakakasurvive [sa araw-araw] ay dahil kumukuha po kami sa labas or magpapaigib po kami sa mga malalaking water tankers,” she added.
Another resident from St. Joseph Village 9 (who said he lived near the subdivision’s water tank) also complained about the absence of water supply, especially during weekends.
“Mayroon man po sa umaga, pero ga-sinulid lamang po ang tulo,” he confided. “Aabutin siguro ng isang oras para mapuno yung container.”
One way residents cope with their water supply is by filling their containers during the early hours of morning, with family members taking “shifts” watching over the supply.
The problem faced by residents of Phase 1 was such that at times, even residents of Phase 3, which had never experienced a shortage of water supply in the past, now faced water-supply issues.
The reason? “Pinapatayan raw ng pressure yung pump sa Phase 3 para ma-reroute ang water supply at mabigyan yung ilang area sa Phase 1 [na walang tubig]," sources told OpinYon Laguna. “Tapos ang gagawing remedy ng water supplier, magpapadala sila ng water tanker sa mga lugar na walang tubig. Yun lang talaga ang ginagawa nilang solusyon.”
Exorbitant Fees
Sources also complained to OpinYon Laguna that their water service provider often charge them exorbitant fees even though they haven’t received any water supply at all.
“Napakamahal na nga po nilang maningil ng tubig, pero nagbi-bill pa rin sila kahit wala kaming tubig,” residents informed OpinYon Laguna.
Even so, many homeowners were willing to pay up to P700 a month in exchange for a reliable water service, as the alternatives were even more costly.
Some homeowners had to shell out hundreds of pesos a day from other water sources such as water refilling stations or water tankers.
“Halimbawa po, ang gastos po namin ngayon sa tubig ay umaabot ngayon ng P400 kada araw,” OpinYon Laguna’s source related.
Meanwhile, some homeowners have reached an agreement with the water service provider in which their fees were waived for the periods when they have no water supply.
“Ang reasoning po naming kasi is, hangin iyong [lumalabas sa gripo namin], so bakit po kami magbabayad para sa hangin?” the source added.
Residents Now Pessimistic
In October 2021, the St. Joseph Village 10 Phase 1 Homeowners Association, Inc. filed a case at the National Water Resources Board (NWRB) against St. Joseph Water Services Corporation.
However, the residents interviewed by OpinYon Laguna have now adopted a pessimistic attitude, doubting that these legal affairs can make any difference for them and the other homeowners.
“Hanggang doon lang — walang nangyayari. Puro pangako lang po sila na aayusin ang serbisyo ng tubig,” they complained.