ILOILO City is no longer the sleepy provincial capital it once was. Over the past decade, it has transformed into one of the fastest-growing urban centers in the Visayas, attracting investors, professionals, and families drawn to its modern infrastructure, booming economy, and livable environment. Yet, beneath this momentum is a fragile foundation: an unreliable and insufficient water supply that threatens to undercut the city’s hard-earned gains.
Mayor Raisa Treñas’ call for Metro Pacific Iloilo Water (MPIW) to provide time-bound, transparent solutions is both a plea for better service and a warning that Iloilo’s growth story cannot continue without water security. For every condominium that rises, every business park that opens, and every household that settles in, the most basic requirement remains the same: dependable access to clean, affordable water. Without it, Iloilo’s attractiveness to investors and residents will quickly erode.
Iloilo City has an estimated 150,000 households, yet MPIW’s own report shows only 30,872 active connections — barely one in five homes. While the company touts an expanded capacity of 80 million liters per day, its Aug. 3 report shows just 46.76 MLD actually available. Put plainly: the system is supplying less than a third of what the city truly needs. This mismatch forces tens of thousands of families – and businesses, too – to uy water from refilling stations or tankers, multiplying their expenses. As the mayor rightly said, “no water is the most expensive water of all.”
Water security is not merely a consumer concern; it is an economic one. Investors weigh the reliability of basic utilities when deciding where to put their money. A city that cannot guarantee a stable water supply sends the wrong signal to developers and industries. At the same time, Iloilo’s booming population will only magnify the problem if the infrastructure does not keep pace with demand. To sustain its growth, Iloilo must demand more than half-measures and press for a master plan that ensures both immediate relief and long-term resilience.
The way forward requires accountability and innovation – with urgency. MPIW must reduce non-revenue water losses, expand supply capacity with concrete timelines, and communicate progress with clarity. But government also plays a crucial role: enforcing strict oversight, exploring alternative sources such as bulk water supply partnerships, and investing in sustainable water resource management. Iloilo cannot afford complacency; the stakes are too high.
Water is life, yes — but in Iloilo’s case, it is also livelihood, growth, and future. The city’s promise as a rising urban hub rests on this foundation. To safeguard that future, leaders, utilities, and citizens alike must confront the water crisis with urgency and resolve.
Iloilo cannot build a city of the future on an empty tap. Secure the water first, and everything else will follow.
