A homeowners’ association in Bagumbong, Caloocan City, has formally petitioned the National Water Resources Board (NWRB) to cancel the Certificate of Public Convenience (CPC) of PrimeWater Infrastructure Corp., citing years of dismal service.
The move has reignited calls from advocacy groups to halt the privatization of essential utilities, which they say continues to fail Filipino consumers.
The Tierra Nova Homeowners Association Inc. (TNHAI) submitted the petition with signatures from a majority of households in the subdivision, detailing grievances over PrimeWater’s “inconsistent, poor quality, low-pressure, and overpriced” water services.
The group also criticized the NWRB for facilitating CPC renewals and rate hikes despite mounting complaints.
“This petition is more than a local grievance—it’s a powerful testimony to the pitfalls of privatization,” said Water for the People Network (WPN) spokesperson Liza Santos.
“The Caloocan case strengthens our national campaign to reclaim public control over water services. We cannot allow basic necessities to be treated as profit-making ventures.”
PrimeWater, led by Manuel Paolo Villar of the influential Villar business and political clan, has faced similar termination efforts in other communities.
WPN emphasized that PrimeWater is not alone in this trend, pointing to other joint venture agreements (JVAs) held by oligarch-owned firms such as Maynilad (Pangilinan group), Manila Water (Enrique Razon), and PAMANA (Lucio Co), and “run as investment-recovering businesses as well, to the detriment of consumers.”
“Serbisyo sa tao, huwag gawing negosyo,” declared Santos. “Water is a right, not a commodity. The government’s aggressive push for privatization violates that right and leaves ordinary Filipinos at the mercy of corporations.”
The petition is backed by a coalition of advocacy and consumer groups, including Samahan at Ugnayan ng mga Konsyumer para sa Ikauunlad ng Bayan, Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahirap, Center for Environment Concerns, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, and IBON Foundation.
“We’re calling on the NWRB to listen to the people of Tierra Nova and all communities suffering under privatized water regimes,” said TNHAI board member Ramon de Guzman. “We deserve reliable, affordable, and publicly accountable water services—not corporate neglect.”
The coalition vows to escalate its campaign, urging national leaders to rethink the privatization of public utilities and prioritize the welfare of consumers over corporate profits. (JCNE)
