CITY OF MALOLOS–Top officials of Bulacan expressed helplessness on what they described as “untouchable” Prime Water Company that scarce residents of supposed abundant water supply due to substandard water infrastructures.
Gov. Daniel Fernando in a media interview in Pandi town on Thursday said Prime Water used substandard water pipes which caused repeated leakages and repairs and eventually poor supply of water particularly in the City of Malolos and other key areas.
“Our Provincial Engineering Office (PEO) found out that they used substandard materials in their pipes and infrastructures. We asked them to improve that. If you can recall, they often dig holes along the MacArthur highway in Malolos, that was because of the leakages on their pipes and infrastructures. There are really a huge number of complaints, people are coming to our office about the poor service of Prime Water,” the governor said.
According to him, the Bulacan Provincial Government allowed Prime Water to partner with different local water districts in different towns and cities in Bulacan with the aim to alleviate the water service condition and status of the Bulakenyos and not the otherwise.
“We did our part, we gave them permission to operate, they should improve their service, we also want to have a copy of their memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the water districts but they have yet to comply,” Fernando added.
According to the governor, he had already tasked last year the provincial board led by Vice Gov. Alexis Castro to conduct investigation, public hearing and secure a copy of the said MOA, but still to no avail.
Also on Thursday, Castro announced the echo of support from the Office of the Malacanang that has reached the governor and his office over their helplessness in getting fully and making communications with Prime Water and acquiring assurances of improvement of their poor water service in many areas in Bulacan.
On Friday, Prime Water said in a statement obtained by NEWSCORE Bulacan, that they “welcome any opportunity for an open and meaningful dialogue to resolve concerns and commit to cooperating fully with Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA).
“We assure our public that we are intensifying our initiatives to address the requirements and satisfy the demand particularly those in challenged service areas. Rest assured that we remain fully committed to fulfilling our obligations with our partners to deliver the long-term improvements necessary for stable, reliable, and sustainable water in our service areas,” the statement further stated.
In an interview early last week at the Official Residence (OR) of the governor in this city, Castro laments their helplessness to get a direct and full assurance by the Prime Water in addressing the enormous water woes and mess Bulacan residents are receiving from the company.
He said that he had already called for a series of public hearings late quarter of last year and early this year with the different stakeholders who raised complaints against Prime Water including the company executive themselves but still to no avail.
“We in the local government unit (LGU) cannot do anything, they are untouchable. We need to review their MOA to see its provisions and their violations so that we could revoke their permit. But until today, we cannot get hold of a copy of the MOA. We also talked to the LWUA about the accountability of Prime Water to us, why it appears that we are hostage here, we continue to communicate with them, but nothing is happening, we are not being heard, they are not listening. I called all their hotlines, nobody is answering, the comment section of their Facebook account is off. It seems that we can not do anything anymore, because we could not get hold of them. Only the national government can sanction them,” (Tayo sa LGU ay walang magawa, untouchable sila. Humihingi tayo ng kopya ng MOA nila pero until now wala silang bininigay sa atin. Kinaudap don natin ang LWUA kung ano ba ang accountability ng Prime Water sa atin, bakit para lang tayong naka hostage dito, salita tayo ng salita pero wala namang nangyayari, hindi tayo pinapakinggan, tinawagan ko ang mga hotlines nila, off ang comments section sa facebook, tinawagan ko ang mga hotlines walang sumasagot, so, wala talaga. Ang dating ay hanggang dito na lang kami, dahil hindi namin sila hawak. Hindi natin sila sakop.Ang national government na ang dapat pumagitna para maayos ang serbisyo ng tubig sa Bulacan), he said in a live interview.
But, in a statement obtained by NEWSCORE Bulacan from Prime Water on Friday, the company welcomed any opportunity for an open and meaningful dialogue to resolve concerns and commit to cooperating fully with LWUA.
“We assure our public that we are intensifying our initiatives to address the requirements and satisfy the demand particularly those in challenged service areas. Rest assured that we remain fully committed to fulfilling our obligations with our partners to deliver the long-term improvements necessary for stable, reliable, and sustainable water in our service areas,” the statement reads.
According to the vice governor, the water problem in many LGU’s in the province only began and erupted when Prime Water took over Marilao, City of Malolos, City of Meycauayan, City of San Jose del Monte because of the MOA with respective water districts in 2018.
“Ang laki ng problema ng tubig sa Bulacan dahil sa Prime Water kaya nga binansagan silang Crime Water. Noong hindi pa naman kinukuha ng Prime Water, wala namang problema ang Bulacan sa tubig. Ang mga general managers nila mismo ang nagsabi na malaki ang problema nila sa mga pipes nila na nasira. Meron pang reklamo ang contractor na di pa bayad ang bunutas na kalsada. I am appealing to the national government, hindi kasi Bulacan lang problema, pati Cavite, ibang lugar din, national issue na ito kaya dapat pakelaman na ng legislators, upang matulungan kami dito sa Bulacan,” (Water problem in Bulacan has been worse because of Prime Water that’s why they are branded as Crime Water. When they have yet to take over Bulacan’s water supply, the province had no water concerns. Their general managers attested to the problematic of their pipes. There was also unpaid work of the contractors who made the leakages. I am appealing to the national government to help meddle in this concern because this is not just a concern of the Bulakenyos but even in Cavite and other areas and for our problem here in Bulacan to be addressed), Castro added.
The vice governor also said that at one point, the provincial board passed a resolution that waived Prime Water to collect charges in Marilao town after services were disrupted.
PEO Chief Glen Reyes told NEWSCORE Bulacan on Friday that Prime Water lacks improvement on their facilities and new projects to accommodate the increasing demand of their customers.
“They also could not comply with our standard and specifications in road restorations, that’s why we demand stricter compliance from them,” Reyes said.
Prisca Reyes from Barangay San Juan complained of lack of water in their areas and until Panasahan village.
“It is really problematic here in San Juan and even until Barangay Panasahan, water supply is really very poor. Water is available only during night time. This had been going on for years. At first, service was good, but eventually, it became poor service. People need to be awake in the wee hour of the night to save and fetch water,” she said.
