ILOILO City – Over the past six years, Metro Iloilo Water District (MIWD) and its joint venture partner have publicly committed billions of pesos in investments to improve Iloilo’s water infrastructure. Yet despite these grand pronouncements, the commitments never translated into actual, tangible investments that would meaningfully upgrade the city’s distribution pipelines or increase water supply.
Today, 73% of Ilonggo households still lack reliable access to water — a damning indictment of six years of inaction and broken promises.
The figures speak for themselves. MIWD and its partner continue to issue grand declarations — most recently pledging “hundreds of millions” for infrastructure upgrades. But these are the same promises made six years ago. Since then, there has been no significant improvement in water service. The crisis continues, and public patience is wearing dangerously thin. The public outcry is glaring — especially on social media, where frustration over dry taps, broken promises, and poor service has become a daily drumbeat.
Even Iloilo City’s Mayor Raisa Treñas has publicly expressed frustration.
“MPIW (Metro Pacific Iloilo Water) should double time. We cannot afford to wait until 2027 before our constituents feel consistent and adequate water supply,” Treñas said in a statement on Friday, July 18.
“Just like electricity, water is a basic necessity, and it should be available every single day,” she added.
The reality is stark. In six years, MIWD and its partner have rehabilitated just 27 kilometers of pipelines, far below what’s needed for a growing urban center. Meanwhile, 50% of the city’s current water supply is lost due to leaks and decaying infrastructure. These inefficiencies have left the majority of households dry — and Ilonggos angry, demanding answers and accountability.
What is happening in Iloilo is not isolated. It mirrors the crisis in other areas serviced by PrimeWater, where joint venture agreements similarly led to poor service delivery, unfulfilled investment promises, and mounting public outrage. The parallels are striking: aging infrastructure left unrepaired, vague financial commitments, and no improvement in basic water access. Both MIWD and PrimeWater reveal the systemic failure of unchecked public-private partnerships that leave local governments to absorb the consequences while citizens suffer.
These consequences include serious financial and health implications, such as sudden budget allocations for the purchase of trucked water, and rising cases of water-borne diseases such as gastroenteritis.
This is why national scrutiny is warranted. In his 2025 State of the Nation Address, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered a full investigation into joint ventures between water districts and private entities — specifically citing their failure to deliver on service improvement. MIWD is a clear and urgent example of this national problem.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros has also filed Proposed Senate Resolution No. 1352, calling for a Senate inquiry into “disadvantageous” water JV contracts.
Given this failure, it is only right to support the city. The Iloilo City Government has stepped up where MIWD has failed — taking bold, decisive action to pursue long-term solutions to the city’s deepening water crisis. President Marcos’ directive to investigate failed water JVs comes at a critical moment.
For the Iloilo City Government’s efforts to succeed, it needs the full support of the national government to finally deliver safe, reliable water access to the Ilonggos.
Iloilo City’s Bulk Water Supply Project deserves much-needed support from the national government. This is the only way the city’s water crisis may be solved – by attracting additional players to deliver much-needed investments and allowing the Iloilo City Government to hold accountable the concessionaires in its growing water industry.
So much is at stake — lives, livelihoods, and the dignity of an entire city hang in the balance. The people of Iloilo cannot afford to wait another six years, nor endure another round of empty promises./PN