ILOILO City – Metro Pacific Iloilo Water (MPIW) rejects claims of “inaction” in addressing Iloilo’s water challenges.
“The truth is, our solutions are not on the drawing board — they are already in motion, backed by substantial multi-billion investments and visible progress on the ground,” said MPIW chief operating officer Angelo David C. Berba.
MPIW’s solutions are not just promises — they are already in motion, funded, built, and flowing into homes today, he stressed.
While others talk about grand projects “someday,” MPIW is on the ground right now, said Barba, excavating, laying pipelines, upgrading and modernizing facilities, and energizing new water pipelines.
Every day without water is a day too many for Ilonggos — and we are acting now, not waiting for years of paperwork, bidding, and permitting to pass, he emphasized.
Berba stressed that MPIW is doing what others only plan. MPIW is consistently implementing water infrastructure modernization. To date, over 30 kilometers of high-capacity pipelines are already laid or being installed, cutting non-revenue water to 47% from 60% losses in 2019 and improving pressure in critical barangays.
Six ongoing total pipe replacement projects and four currently in the pipeline for this year come with a total investment of P1.3 billion to improve system reliability and handle higher volumes of incoming water supply from the P5.5-billion desalination and P400-million modular desalination projects, while maintaining safe, clean water.
According to MPIW, their multi-billion-peso capital investments are already on-site, not stuck in boardroom presentations. Materials are purchased, contractors are mobilized, and projects are in mid-construction. Supplementing the aggressive non-revenue water reduction program is the construction of the 65.5 MLD water supply capacity, which will be integrated into the current supply to serve 80–100% of the company’s water service coverage.
MPIW said they welcome any initiative that can help Iloilo secure its water future, but facts matter. The Aboitiz-led Jalaur River Bulk Water Proposal is still a concept. It requires water rights approval, detailed engineering, environmental clearance, financing closure, and years of construction before the first drop reaches homes.
MPIW’s P900 million worth of projects to date are already delivering water to more than 50,000 service connections today and will expand to more in the coming months.
While the Jalaur allocation will take at least three to five years to materialize, MPIW is closing the gap now to stop the daily suffering of residents paying P250 per cubic meter from other providers compared to MPIW’s tariff of P20 per cubic meter, value-added tax (VAT) exclusive, for piped water.
MPIW delivers water through water tankers for commercial, government, and institutional purposes to ensure more efficient delivery. “We all know that our pipes, particularly in Iloilo City, were constructed during the 1920s American era. Most are aged, dilapidated, and undersized.”
Ilonggos cannot afford to wait for long-term proposals to materialize before seeing relief. MPIW’s approach is simple: solve today’s crisis while building tomorrow’s resilience. Every new source we connect and every kilometer of pipe we replace brings us closer to full, round-the-clock service.
“The city, the customers don’t need another private entity as a middleman for bulk water that will translate to higher prices for the water distribution company.”
“We are already grappling with the private bulk water supplier charging us increasing prices every year without control from the national government,” he added.
Berba emphasized that if Aboitiz InfraCapital (AIC) is awarded the project, the water transaction will be business-to-business (B2B), with AIC selling to MPIW.
AIC’s proposed rate stands at P51 per cubic meter, more than double MPIW’s current rate of P22 per cubic meter.
Berba stressed that AIC’s proposed rate is just a “non-starter” price.
MPIW stands by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.s’ call for accountability and urgency in public services. “We are proving that urgency means boots on the ground, machines in the field, and water already flowing — not just promises in press releases,” he stressed.
MPIW is already doing it — ongoing and moving forward, addressing the challenges of water in Iloilo./PN
