The Manila Times
(UPDATE) MUNTINLUPA Lone District Rep. Jaime Fresnedi said he is "seriously" considering filing a House Resolution seeking a legislative inquiry into the persistent and disruptive water service issues of west zone concessionaire Maynilad Water Services Inc. in his city. In a statement on Saturday, Fresnedi expressed concern over recurring water interruptions that disrupt daily life across the city, affecting households, businesses, and even government operations. Fresnedi said the recurring outages have caused public frustration, particularly because residents expect immediate assistance whenever water service is interrupted. "Based on my interviews with my constituents, it doesn’t feel like there should be a water tanker roaming around every time there are water service interruptions. Shouldn’t they be there right away?” Fresnedi added. He added that during a town hall meeting last month, Maynilad committed to coordinating with city officials to ensure the prompt deployment of water tankers for emergency distribution, but the promised response did not materialize. “Unfortunately, it’s not being done. No water tankers were seen making the rounds. That is the general sentiment,” he added. He said his team is now compiling relevant data as part of preparations for a formal resolution seeking a congressional investigation to determine accountability and improve service delivery. Fresnedi said disruptions force residents, especially those with work obligations the following day, to stay up late waiting for water. He also urged Maynilad to undertake meaningful improvements to stabilize service, stressing that repeated outages have caused significant stress, inconvenience, and lost productivity among residents. The Muntinlupa lawmaker also questioned the utility's explanation that Laguna Lake water quality has been deteriorating, justifying unannounced interruptions. The lawmaker also called on the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS), the regulator of water concessionaires, to exercise its full authority to ensure compliance. “I hope that our water regulator will take proactive measures to compel the water concessionaires to deliver stable and efficient water services for our people. And that its power should not be limited to just imposing penalties,” Fresnedi said. Last month, Muntinlupa Mayor Ruffy Biazon and other city officials demanded that Maynilad present a concrete service recovery plan to address recurring water interruptions affecting residents, businesses, and local government operations. In a statement to The Manila Times, Maynilad said it recognizes the concerns raised by Fresnedi and local officials on recent service disruptions in the city. "Service has since stabilized as raw water quality improved, and we remain focused on sustaining a reliable supply while strengthening coordination with the LGU (local government unit) and other stakeholders,” the west-zone water concessionaire said.
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