San Jose del Monte City’s water utility has moved to pre-terminate its joint venture agreement with Primewater Infrastructure Corp. (PWIC), escalating long-running concerns over service performance.
In a letter addressed to Mayor Arturo B. Robes, San Jose Water Chairman Aurelio Jose Jr. said the board passed Board Resolution No. 15 S.-2025 on April 3, directing the issuance of a Notice of Intent to Pre-Terminate the Joint Venture Agreement. The notice was formally served to Primewater on April 7.
“We have elevated the matter to our statutory counsel, the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel, for proper disposition and guidance,” Jose said in the letter dated April 10.
PrimeWater, a private water service provider owned by the Villar family, has been facing mounting criticism across several cities over water service interruptions and alleged inefficiencies.
In December 2024, the San Jose del Monte Water District Board passed a resolution raising no objection to requests from several barangays seeking a new water provider, citing PrimeWater’s failure to meet their water needs.
Residents, grappling with weeks of low to no water pressure, voiced growing anger over PrimeWater’s service lapses. They pointed to disruptions in daily life, heightened public health risks, and the added cost of buying water from private vendors.
In response, Mayor Robes and the city government rolled out emergency measures beyond deploying water tankers. These included setting up emergency water distribution hubs across key areas, forging water-sharing deals with neighboring LGUs, and deploying mobile filtration units to supply potable water.
The City Health Office also ramped up sanitation checks in affected communities to prevent possible outbreaks of waterborne illnesses.
San Jose del Monte is one of the fastest-growing cities in Bulacan, with a population of nearly 730,000, according to the latest Philippine Statistics Authority estimate.
In 2018, PrimeWater entered into a JVA with the city’s Water District after Rep. Robes delivered a privilege speech in Congress regarding a supposed water supply shortage in the city.
Former Engr. Even Calajate, who is the president of the Alliance for Consumer’s Protection of SJDM and a former Chairman of the San Jose Water District, disputed Robes’ claims, stating that a water shortage was improbable.
He noted that the Water District had multiple water sources, including groundwater and direct supply from Angat Dam, in addition to water from MWSS.
Calajate raised the question of why the Water District was able to provide water to Loma de Gato in Marilao and parts of Norzagaray if there was truly a water shortage in SJDM. (TCSP)
