Honorable Senators, fellow Filipinos:

Access to safe, adequate, and affordable water is not a privilege — it is a fundamental human right, affirmed by the United Nations and enshrined in our Constitution. Yet, millions of Filipinos are being denied this right due to harmful Joint Venture Agreements (JVAs) that have privatized our public water districts.

For decades, it has been the people’s money—through minimum charges and water bills—that built and sustained our local water districts. These systems are government-owned by constitutional mandate. This is because water is part of the commons, meant to serve all, not to line a few private pockets. However, under privatization, public assets have been turned into cash cows for corporations.

The first major wave of privatization in Metro Manila serves as a cautionary tale. In 1997, the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) was handed over to Manila Water and Maynilad with promises of cheaper and better service. Instead, tariffs skyrocketed—Manila Water’s increased by 1,722% and Maynilad’s by 859% as of 2024. Poor communities without proper water connections have it worse, often spending up to 15% of their meager incomes on water, far above international standards. Consumers continue to suffer unreliable supply, dirty water, and poor sanitation, with the Supreme Court even fining these companies for failing to meet environmental obligations. The lesson is clear: privatization has failed.

Now, the same failed model is being repeated through JVAs across the country. The companies involved are controlled by the country’s biggest billionaires: PrimeWater (Villar family), Manila Water (Enrique Razon), Pamana Water Company (Lucio Co), and MetroPac Water Investments (Pangilinan group).

PrimeWater alone controls about 69% of JVAs nationwide, leaving consumers with little to no water in San Jose del Monte during the day, while 22 barangays in La Union practically have no water. In Bacolod, residents receive only a few hours of weak trickles, while Caloocan faces water rationing. Water is often muddy, murky, and unsafe to drink, forcing families to buy bottled or gallons of water. Tariffs have also risen steeply, with Pampanga seeing a 25% hike, and San Jose del Monte’s minimum charge doubling from Php200 for 10 cubic meters to Php200 for only 5. Monthly bills can reach Php1,000–Php2,000, taking up to 10% of a family’s meager income.

MetroPac in Iloilo tells a similar story. After nearly a decade, its JVA has reached only 26% of households in its service area—just 46,000 homes—which face daily rationing or outright water shortages. Tariffs have climbed from Php15 per cubic meter before privatization to Php18–22 today, with looming hikes to Php41–45 per cubic meter, excluding VAT. Far from improving access, MetroPac has left consumers paying more for less.

Consumers in areas served by the Manila Water Company’s Manila Water Philippine Ventures and Pamana Water Corporation report the similar issues, showing how JVAs do not solve water woes. They only multiply the burden with scarce supply, dirty water, soaring bills—while profits for private firms continue to grow.

PrimeWater’s profits soared from Php196 million in 2017 to nearly Php2 billion in 2023. Metro Pacific’s water ventures’, which include those of MetroPac Water Investments, grew from Php3.1 billion in 2020 to Php12.8 billion in 2024. Manila Water Philippine Ventures’ net income rose from Php392 million in 2021 to Php2.3 billion in 2024. Lucio Co’s Pamana Water meanwhile continues to grow.  Clearly, their water businesses are profitable—but not for the people.

The people’s grievances are nationwide. From La Union to Bulacan, Zambales, Pampanga, Pangasinan, Cavite, Laguna, Quezon, Bicol, Cebu, Leyte, Cagayan de Oro, and even parts of Metro Manila, more and more water districts are demanding the termination of JVAs. However, when districts issue pre-termination notices, private firms often resist and drag the cases to court—prolonging people’s suffering.

Honorable Senators, on top of these concerns, water sourcing and national planning are in disarray. Instead of tapping abundant local sources, rainwater, or small-scale sustainable systems, the government has allowed shortages to persist for years. Worse, it pushes destructive megaprojects that undermine communities:

• In Pakil, Laguna, the Ahunan Dam, tied to Razon’s Prime Infra, has deprived 20,000 people of natural stream water, destroyed rice and coconut farms and fishing grounds, cut down fruit-bearing trees, and harassed indigenous peoples and residents defending their land.
• In Panay, Metro Pacific’s 66.5 MLD desalination plant will be energy-intensive and produce toxic brine harmful to marine life and fisheries.
• The Jalaur Mega Dam, funded by South Korea’s KEXIM Bank and Daewoo, will submerge farmlands, displace indigenous families, and devastate river biodiversity.

These projects show how privatization and megaprojects prioritize the profit and control of a few oligarchs over securing water for the people.

We therefore demand:

1. The termination of harmful JVAs, starting with PrimeWater, where local government units, water districts and consumers have already sought to end contracts.
2. Public disclosure of all JVA contracts including annexes and other relevant supporting documents—these are public and the people have a right to see them.
3. Consumer representation in all investigations and processes involving JVAs.
4. A firm government policy to halt the privatization of water and other public goods.

Water is a basic right, not a commodity. When water is privatized, we are deprived of democracy and dignity. We must restore public control, accountability, and sustainability for all.

Serbisyo sa tao, huwag gawing negosyo. People over profit. Water for the people!