Faucet half working
They say that when a cup is half-contained with water and someone sees it as half empty, they focus on the negative. When they see it as half full, they look for the positive. As for Cavite residents, it’s hard to see which to answer since the cup can barely get filled with water. The true answer for our case is: the faucet is half working. Residents express growing frustration over frequent water supply interruptions in the province, with some areas experiencing outages lasting several hours to days, particularly in densely populated areas such as Bacoor, Imus, and Dasmariñas.
In November 2024, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. revealed that the Philippines is facing a water crisis, with 11 million families lacking access to clean water as the dry season approaches. This crisis comes amid the privatization of water services, with the Villar family’s PrimeWater Infrastructure Corp. taking over more than 100 water districts nationwide since 2021. This raises concerns about the effectiveness of such privatizations in addressing the ongoing water supply issues faced by residents in Cavite and beyond.
Local officials explained that aging infrastructure and increasing demand contribute to this issue, but have yet to release an official timeline for improvements. Water service providers, such as PrimeWater and Maynilad, have faced criticisms and complaints from the residents who are dissatisfied with the lack of communication and clear solutions.
A persisting disturbance
Maria Victoria Busine, a resident of South Garden Homes in Salitran III, expressed her concerns about how the water interruptions affect residents in the locale. “Lalo na ‘pag summer, mas frequent ‘yung water interruptions na [nakaaapekto] sa daily activities… and I think parang recent din talaga siya, since before PrimeWater took over, parang wala [namang] masyadong problems in terms of water supply,” reiterating that it intervenes with household chores such as washing the dishes, washing clothes, comfort room usage, and taking a bath.
When asked about how they obtain sufficient water for daily use, she revealed, “Parang may napunta dito na truck ng tubig tapos… ‘yung mga household, ilalabas ‘yung mga timba, mga batsa, and then… kukuha ng water na gagamitin for the day.”
Busine also noted, “Last year ko lang din na-observe ‘yung parang apparent na water interruptions na [nakaaapekto] ng buong subdivision, and first time talaga ‘yung last year, nung 2024… Pansin ko lang din, parang iba’t-iba din ‘yung effect talaga. Like, sa bawat street, ‘pag sobrang mas malayo ka d’un sa water source… mas ikaw ‘yung nagdudusa na wala kang tubig buong araw, compared sa kapag mas malapit ka. Kasi, ayun nga, parang… may problem d’un sa pressure ng water supply.” These water interruptions occur almost everyday and were said to last for half the day, spanning an estimate of 12 hours.
When it comes to water bills, Busine expressed, “I think nag–retain pa rin [‘yung water bill]. Parang kahit may water interruptions, pareho pa rin ‘yung sinisingil sa’yo, which doesn’t make any sense din kasi ‘di mo rin laging nagagamit ‘yung tubig, lalo ‘pag may water interruptions.”
On the other hand, Cardinal Homes resident Ellen Rose Cruz noted, “When there is water interruption, household chores [are] also interrupted. There is no pattern or intervals in interruptions. That’s why we have our ready stock of water for our daily use.” She also emphasized that with the frequent announcements, she starts to think that their water supply is insufficient due to the increased population.
Back in June 2022, residents of Barangay Bucandala III in Imus, Cavite expressed concerns for enduring their water supply being irregular for six months. “Sakripisyo po kasi kailangan po talaga namin ng tubig araw-araw para makahugas. ‘Yun po ang daily need namin (tubig) kaya sana po maayos po ang tubig,” resident Freddie Cortez shared.
Corazon Rabimbe has also called on Maynilad Water Services Inc. to address the ongoing water supply issues, expressing frustration over the hardships caused by the outages. “Kung wala ka[ng] ipon dito ng tubig, saan ka iigib? Kagaya sa akin na nagmamanhid na [ang] aking kamay… maglalaba ka, maghihintay ka pa ng 10 PM. Gaano kahirap ‘yun?” she said.
In response, Maynilad Corporate Communications Head Jennifer Rufo apologized for the continued disruptions and acknowledged the company’s failure to restore normal service, explaining that the company is working on building a third water treatment plant near Laguna Lake, which is expected to be completed by next year. She said that “this facility will draw water from Laguna Lake and provide an additional 150 million liters of water per day… Once operational, this will serve as a long-term solution, ensuring 24-hour water supply for Imus.”
Actions taken
With regards to the actions taken by their community in South Garden Homes, Busine shared, “Sa community namin… nagpatawag ng truck galing ding PrimeWater. Sila ‘yung nagrarasyon ng tubig sa bawat household… may umiikot na truck sa bawat street sa subdivision namin.”
In terms of the actions taken by their local government unit (LGU), residents are uncertain whether there are any efforts in addressing their community’s concerns, stating that the local government does not directly take action in alignment with the concerns of their citizens. She stressed that, “As a citizen, message ko to the local government is… prioritize din ‘yung water security ng local residents. And I think it’s a wrong move na parang pinrivatize ‘yung water supply talaga, since water… it’s a necessity… and it shouldn’t be monopolized by a private entity. And dapat sa lahat talaga, masu–supply–an ng tubig since it is a daily need.”
Meanwhile, Cruz expressed how she sees the future of their community following the frequent interruptions, saying that in the next five years, as the population increases, the supply of water might decrease.
The immense lack of innovation
Cavite officials stress the urgency of updating and integrating the province’s water management plan to address pressing challenges. According to the Cavite Integrated Water Resource Management Master Plan (CIWRMMP), the region faces issues such as rapid population growth, booming economic activities, groundwater depletion, saltwater intrusion in coastal areas, river pollution, and heightened competition for water resources.
Research by Ann De Vera reveals that Cavite Province’s existing water supply and distribution infrastructure is insufficient to meet current and future demands. The study also highlights a lack of a comprehensive financing framework for the water sector, which could optimize the use of limited public funds while promoting concessional operations and attracting private-sector investments. It emphasized that emerging disciplines such as climate change, natural resource economics, education, and human dimensions of decision-making are needed for water sustainability research.
De Vera’s study also concluded that a fast-growing population and the depletion of natural resources can lead to a future water catastrophe, recommending that the local government should focus on community education and initiatives to raise awareness of Cavite’s water supply crisis in the future.
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PrimeWater stated that it is redoubling its efforts to expand its wastewater services through the establishment of more septage treatment plants (STPs) especially designed for safe and sustainable processing and disposal of septage last September 2023. Yet more than a year after, residents under their supply still experience trouble in the consistent usage of this necessity.
Water disruptions lead to a domino effect of problems. The call for action has always been there and several improvement plans are already laid out. All that is left is for genuine initiative; one not rooted in greed.
Before we can test if the glass is half empty or full, the faucets must first be fully functional.
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The HERALDO FILIPINO reached out to PrimeWater Dasmariñas, but they have not responded.
Originally published in Heraldo Filipino Volume 39, Issue 1
Art slider by Altheia Clarisse Rara
