ILOILO City – Mayor Raisa Treñas has put Metro Pacific Iloilo Water (MPIW) on notice, pressing the company to deliver clear, time-bound solutions to the city’s persistent water woes, as thousands of households continue to suffer from unreliable supply despite MPIW’s claims of expanded capacity.
“I urged MPIW to spell out, in plain and specific terms, its plans and actions to bring down non-revenue water (NRW) losses,” Treñas said in a letter to MPIW chief operating officer Angelo David Berba.
She pointed out that while the company has been operating in Iloilo City for more than five years, many consumers still face erratic service.
Treñas also cast doubt on MPIW’s announcement that it had increased its water production capacity from 30 million liters per day (MLD) to 80 MLD since its joint venture.
“Despite their latest press release… since when did this happen? I am only 45 days into my term as mayor and I have already received multiple complaints, many through formal letters, chats, or text messages from affected consumers,” she said.
The mayor stressed that families are being forced to spend more just to meet daily water needs, underscoring that “no water is the most expensive water of all.”
MPIW recently reported serving over 250,000 people, but Treñas cited the company’s Aug. 3 status report showing only 46.76 MLD in available supply and 31 percent coverage, or just 30,872 active connections — far short of the city’s estimated 150,000 households.
Given this gap, the mayor said the city government is demanding concrete commitments from MPIW not only on reducing NRW but also on ensuring a dependable and sufficient water supply.
She asked the company to declare exactly how many MLD it can commit to Iloilo City, and to present ongoing and planned projects to achieve this target.
“If the full supply cannot be delivered immediately, I want MPIW to provide a definite and realistic timeline,” Treñas said. “These commitments must be put in black and white, with clear targets for lowering NRW and increasing MLD supply, so the public can see and measure progress.”
In closing her letter, Treñas reminded the company of its responsibility: “Water is life. Iloilo City cannot and will not settle for half-measures. I expect MPIW to match the City Government’s determination in making sure every Ilonggo household has dependable access to clean and safe water, because our people deserve nothing less.”/PN
