Buen, Ramirez, and Abellana are among the many affected consumers who are billed monthly with a minimum charge and continue to pay their dues despite not being able to benefit from the services of PrimeWater.

By Michel  Joy Radam
Bulatlat.com

GUIGUINTO, Bulacan – Water outage, murky water supply, mounting financial losses of local water districts, and soaring bills despite little to no water, are the grievances long raised by consumers of the PrimeWater Infrastructure Corp nationwide. 

While PrimeWater reported entering into 75 joint venture agreements with local water districts by 2022, Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) administrator Jose Moises Salonga estimated that about six million customers in service areas have been affected.

This is not an isolated case, as similar problems have also been reported in The Crest at Savannah, a subdivision in Iloilo City owned by the Villars under Camella Homes, where water is also supplied by their subsidiary, First Peak-Iloilo.

According to Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) records, PrimeWater Infrastructure Corporation controls 99 percent of First Peak’s shares, revealing a near-total ownership that blurs the line between the two companies. Both companies operate under the Villar Group’s network of subsidiaries of Prime Asset Ventures Inc., headed by Manuel Paolo Villar.

Luxury nightmare

In 2020, William Ng and his family moved into their house at The Crest at Savannah by Camella Homes in Oton, Iloilo, only to realize after a year the mounting problems plaguing the subdivision.

Water lines crossing the drainage system, lack of a sewage treatment plant (STP), and damaged and unsafe infrastructure are only a few of the issues that have long troubled the community, posing serious health risks and worsening the residents’ daily living conditions.

Ng, president of The Crest at Savannah Homeowners Association (HOA), said in an online interview with Bulatlat that they raised these issues with the developer, Crown Communities (Iloilo) Inc., and with the water utility concessionaire, First Peak Resources and Technologies Inc.

Inaction from both parties prompted the HOA to escalate the issues to the authorities, leading to three site inspections by the Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office (MENRO) of Oton, Iloilo, and two site inspections by the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD). 

Both agencies submitted inspection reports along with their recommendations. However, Fleurdelis Isada of Vista Land and Lifescapes, Inc. stated that they are “awaiting for official guidance from their Central Office.” This has been the response for more than a year already.

Ng said that some residents were affected by the contaminated water, although he admitted that they have not yet conducted tests confirming that the condition is directly linked to the unsanitary distribution of potable water. He noted, however, that one homeowner already had the water tested after her family experienced allergies and skin problems. 

According to the MENRO inspection report in April 2024, a bacteriological analysis conducted by Dr. Rodnie Tacay in November 2023 ‘failed’ the water quality tests, detecting coliform bacteria and other contaminants in the supply. 

However, First Peak refused to acknowledge the findings and instead conducted a retest, which conveniently ‘passed’ and declared the water safe, even with the continued leakage of waterlines passing through the sewers.

The website of Savannah the Crest by Camella Homes claimed that it is an exclusive high-end subdivision with properties costing around P7 million to 8 million. However, the developer’s response to the residents’ unresolved complaints has been attributed to financial constraints.

“Actually they’ve been collaborating. We had a meeting with DHSUD and Oton MENRO. We have been meeting with the First Peak and the developer. And they just said it’s in the central office for approval, those are talking points,” Ng said. “Like we would like to do it but because of financial concern or financial reason… those are, I hear that, they write it on the letter.”

Despite the HOA’s securing favorable recommendations from MENRO and a certificate to file action from DHSUD, holding the developer accountable remains an uphill battle, demonstrating how regulatory measures often fall short of ensuring effective enforcement.

At the inauguration of the 20th Congress, Sen. Camille Villar took over as chairperson of the Senate Committee on Environment, Natural Resources, and Climate Change, succeeding her mother Cynthia Villar.

Taps empty

On June 28, the issues with the PrimeWater resurfaced when GMA Kapuso actress Carla Abellana posted on her Instagram story a disconnection notice e-mail from PrimeWater for overdue payment. Despite her frustrations over the lack of water supply, the actress still paid her dues. 

PrimeWater Tagaytay issued a statement explaining the minimum bill charged to the actress and claimed that they had conducted an initial visit and spoken with the caretaker which Abellana denied.

Meanwhile, residents of Malolos, Bulacan who are served by the same water provider aired similar grievances. Ivy Ramirez told Bulatlat that almost every household in their neighborhood has purchased a water pump motor, as having dry faucets has long been their norm. 

Even though the P1,000 ($17.52) cost of a water pump was a strain on Ramirez’ budget, she still bought one as their faucets had gone months without a single drop of water.

For a low-income household like Ramirez’ family, seeking alternative ways to get water such as these is way too costly and exhausting. “I hope the water supply improves so there’s no need to use a motor pump, as it also adds to our electricity expenses. It also consumes a lot of electricity,” she said. 

Such was also the case for Baby Buen, a resident of Dasmariñas, Cavite since 2013. In an online interview with Bulatlat, she said that their water supply had been reliable when they first bought their property until the pandemic when poor water service began. 

In 2020, Buen said that the scheduling of water supply was implemented reportedly due to an increase in their area’s population in which they willingly accepted at first as it follows the schedule and gives time for them to store water.

However, by 2024, the water supply had become highly inconsistent, with residents given only an hour each day to store water. This forced Buen’s family to also buy a water pump motor and almost fill their house with water containers.

And by March this year, their faucets had completely run dry, prompting many residents to leave and many residential businesses to lower rental rates. 

She said that they have rations of water but they did not know if it is from their LGU or PrimeWater since the truck was unmarked and whenever they ask the truck drivers their response was that “they are just following orders.” 

Buen said that the delivered water contains sediments and causes skin itching, making it unusable for them except for flushing the toilet.

Buen, Ramirez, and Abellana are among the many affected consumers who are billed monthly with a minimum charge and continue to pay their dues despite not being able to benefit from the services of PrimeWater.

Their frustrations with the water provider are not far from those of Ng and the residents who were promised a comfortable life at The Crest at Savannah. Ng told Bulatlat that aside from the complaints against their developer and First Peak, there are also water interruptions in their subdivision. However, he said this is not much of a burden, as almost every household has its own water tank that can store enough water to last for two days.

One foot out the door?

The current administration claims that it is not deaf on the ongoing issues Villar-owned water utility is facing. In fact, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered the LWUA to investigate PrimeWater.

LWUA, an agency attached to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), was led by Mark Villar from 2016 to 2021 during the Duterte administration, the same time when PrimeWater’s joint venture agreements (JVAs) increased. In the 20th congress, Mark Villar is now a senator and chairperson of both the Senate Committee on Public Works and the Senate Committee on Government Corporations and Public Enterprises.

On July 1, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro confirmed that LWUA submitted to the Office of the President two balikbayan boxes containing its investigation report on PrimeWater.

In his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 28, Marcos Jr. warned those responsible would be held liable. “Above all, we will ensure that those who have neglected and lacked in providing this public service will be held accountable,” he said.

Amid the gruelling complaints against PrimeWater, the Villars seem to be under the mounting pressure and close to calling it quits. “And we don’t get paid a lot for that. In fact, Manny Villar wants to dispose of it because it’s just being used against us; in our politics. We don’t earn so much from it,” former senator Cynthia Villar claimed.

However, a Rappler report review of PrimeWater’s financial statements shows otherwise: net income climbed from P196 million in 2017 to P425 million in 2019, and had even soared to P1.18 billion by 2023.

Thirst for justice

Advocates and progressive groups continue to demand accountability and concrete action from the government to champion the basic right to water.

The Pro-People Engineers and Leaders (PROPEL), a group of engineering advocates, stressed in a statement that the communities’ need for fair and adequate water security is not just a privilege but a fundamental human right. “We should uphold the call for a genuine public utility service at the benefit of the people, and not for the benefit of the few and elite,” PROPEL asserted.

Meanwhile, Water for the People Network (WPN) spokesperson Leo Espelimbergo, also argues that the privatization of utilities has never yielded positive outcomes. Instead, the group is calling for the renationalization or public reclaiming of these services and the country’s resources to benefit the people and promote national development.

Read: Privatization, Philippine-style | Residents pay higher for dirty water

Discontent by the government’s prolonged inaction, the WPN pressed the administration with a question: How should the national government ensure the immediate provision of water to distressed areas experiencing dismal yet expensive water services such as those under PrimeWater and other JVAs? Is there a quick reaction team to immediately ensure the provision of water where there is little or none?

Residents’ accounts reveal that the privatization of public utilities negatively impacts not only the environment, tourism, and local businesses, but also the daily lives of the communities themselves.

Tired of storing gallons that now fill her entire home, Buen pleaded with the government for a solution. “We just want our water problem resolved. For so long, we’ve had no access to clean water. It’s a basic necessity, the most important of all. How much longer must we depend on rations?” (RTS, DAA, RVO)