MWSS

Rate hike for Maynilad customers approved: Looming increase in water rates to burden consumers more

September 14, 2018

Amid soaring prices, the MWSS Board of Trustees has given the nod to higher water rates for Maynilad Water Systems Inc. This and impending Manila Water Company, Inc. rate increases are bound to burden consumers anew, said water rights group Water for the People Network (WPN). WPN urged the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System-Regulatory Office […]

Stop rate rebasing until onerous fees resolved – WPN

June 25, 2018

Advocacy group Water for the People Network (WPN) is appealing to the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System – Regulatory Office (MWSS-RO) to halt the ongoing rate rebasing process that is expected to raise water rates in Metro Manila and its environs, saying the basis for determining future water rates remains unresolved. Concessionaires Maynilad and Manila […]

On Consumer Welfare Month: 20 years of MWSS privatization, 20 years of violating the people’s right to water

October 3, 2017

​By Water for the People Network- The 20th anniversary of the privatization of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) in August was considered a milestone by privatization proponents. The MWSS has often been used to showcase the supposed benefits of turning over water supply services to private corporations. But the start of government-declared Consumer Welfare Month […]

Gov’t should spare consumers from water firms’ Php82-B back charges

October 3, 2017

As the Philippine government launches Consumer Welfare Month, the Water for the People Network (WPN) warned against impending unreasonable water rates should government yield to the monetary demands of Maynilad Water Services Inc. and Manila Water Company. The network said that the Supreme Court decision that public utilities cannot pass on their corporate income taxes […]

Soaring water rates after 20 years of MWSS privatization

August 24, 2017

Did water privatization result in solving the water crisis, affordable water rates?      

Arbitration ruling favors corporate greed over people’s rights—WPN

August 14, 2017

Advocacy group Water for the People Network (WPN) said that the decision by the International Arbitration Court (IAC) requiring the Philippine government to pay Php3.4 billion to Maynilad Water Services, Inc. reflects the corporate bias of international mechanisms for resolving disputes between governments and private corporations. The Philippine government should learn from the public’s negative experience under […]

Impending water rate hikes baseless, terminate CA – WPN

March 22, 2017

Advocacy group Water for the People Network (WPN) said that looming water rate hikes are unwarranted since consumers have long been over-charged to ensure profits for the two water concessionaires. On World Water Day, the group said that the Duterte administration should rescind the onerous concession agreements (CA) with the Pangilinan-Salim group’s Maynilad Water Services, […]

UN report reaffirms water privatization amid MWSS rate hike controversy

April 14, 2014

IBON Features | COMMENTARY | By Arnold Padilla | The renewed support for the corporate takeover of water and energy sectors comes at a time that these policies are seriously being challenged by consumers IBON Features— The World Water Day quietly passed by last March 22. It is a United Nations (UN) event that has […]

MWSS water rate rollback: Tentative, partial and inadequate

September 19, 2013

IBON Features | COMMENTARY | By Sonny Africa | The MWSS unfortunately basically still operates within the bounds of the defective anti-consumer concession agreements with liberal rate-setting schemes, business-biased dispute settlement, and weak regulation The MWSS decision is welcome in being the first rollback since privatization in 1997. If implemented, it should give consumers some […]