📷Former Bayan Muna Rep. Ferdinand Gaite
Former Bayan Muna Congressman Ferdinand Gaite condemned the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) board’s approval of substantial water rate increases for both Maynilad and Manila Water starting January 2025.
“This impending water rate hike is another heavy burden for Filipino families who are already struggling with rising costs of basic commodities and services,” Gaite said.
According to MWSS Regulatory Office, for Manila Water, the average increase will be P7.58 per cubic meter for sewered lines and P5.95 per cubic meter for unsewered lines, such as those serving residential customers. This will raise the average tariff from P55.08 per cubic meter to P61.04.
For Maynilad, the average increase will be P8.11 per cubic meter for sewered lines and P7.32 for unsewered lines. The average tariff, currently P58.30 per cubic meter, will increase to P65.62 starting January 2025.
Former Rep. Gaite criticized the deceptive nature of recent tax adjustments. “Ang pagtatanggal ng VAT sa tubig ay walang saysay dahil pinalitan lang ito ng National Franchise Tax at Local Franchise Tax. Lalo pang lumala nang ibalik ang Foreign Currency Differential Adjustment na napatanggal na natin noon,” Gaite explained.
[“The removal of VAT on water is meaningless as it was merely replaced by National Franchise Tax and Local Franchise Tax. The situation worsened with the reinstatement of the Foreign Currency Differential Adjustment that we previously succeeded in removing.”]
“The privatization of water services has clearly failed the Filipino people. These constant rate hikes prove that private water concessionaires prioritize profit over public service,” Gaite added.
Gaite called for the nationalization of water services. “We support the position that water, being a basic human right, should not be treated as a commodity. The government must take control of water services to ensure affordable and accessible water for all Filipinos,” he concluded.#
