By By Tiffany Xu
ILOILO CITY — From market spaces, transportation, to water services — government agencies in Iloilo are now centering its development goals around revenue-generating public-private partnership deals.
The Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN)-Panay and Panay Consumer’s Alliance (PCA) have lambasted the 43% increase on water fees and the lack of transparency within concerned agencies through protests and public statements starting this October.
In-charge of supplying potable water throughout the city, Metro Iloilo Water District (MIWD) has entered into a P12.3-billion joint venture agreement (JVA) with Metro Pacific Water (MPC) good for 25 years. The said agreement transferred all maintenance, billing, and water distribution operations to the private company, which was effective since November 2019.
Now referred to as Metro Pacific Iloilo Water (MPIW), this would explain the first surge of water rate hikes in six years. The agency is set to charge an additional P5.2 per cubic meter this November, and another P3.47 per cubic meter by March of next year.
MPIW cited the joint venture move as having been due to a lack of financial resources, amid plans to expand services in neighboring towns. However, BAYAN-Panay argues that even the 43% water fee increase has not been earmarked for upgrading water facilities, but may solely be for operational costs.
As of Dec. 3, Iloilo City Mayor Raisa Trenas-Chu also signed with Aboitiz InfraCapital Inc., ratifying its concession agreement for the Iloilo Bulk Water Supply Project. The P5.12-billion project aims to provide a water treatment facility and a 4-km treated water pipeline according to its invitation for proposal bids last June.
PCA argues in its position paper that such agreement is centered upon a fully privatized and build-own-operate model, allowing Aboitiz to set a base rate of P40.2 per cubic meter from its services.
Following a protest in front of the MIWD office last Oct. 20, MIWD has yet to release both the copy of the JVA and several administrative resolutions relating to the application of the water rate hike.
“MIWD responded that PCA’s request was forwarded to their freedom of information unit, but that releasing the requested documents would require the consent of its private partner, Metro Pacific Water,” said BAYAN-Panay in their Nov. 28 statement.
BAYAN-Panay also contends that instead of serving public interests, agencies are acting more “as the guardian of corporate secrecy”, despite water and access to public information being recognized as universal human rights.
According to the groups, privatizing and surrendering public services to corporate control is not needed for people to enjoy their rights, as this would instead only add on to their costs of living.
Similarly, the Iloilo City Government is in a public-private partnership with SM Prime Holdings for the redevelopment of two public markets, or ‘mallification’ as critics in social media suggested.
Entry of foreign-loaned modernized jeepneys and blue taxis amid the looming Local Public Transport Route Plan (LPTRP) has also previously raised a slew of concerns from traditional jeepneys and the commuter folk./PT
