
MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has approved the recommendation of the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) in response to mounting complaints over water service interruptions involving the private water utility firm PrimeWater Infrastructure Corporation.
“Ang pangulo po ay naaral na ang report mula sa LWUA, siya po mismo ang nag-aral dito. Ang rekomendasyon po sa kanya ay kanya namang inayunan (The President has reviewed the LWUA report himself and agreed with its recommendation),” Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said Wednesday.
Castro, however, did not disclose the details of the recommendation, adding that the government has to act first on the complaints about PrimeWater’s service.
“Ang rekomendasyon po ay saka na namin ibabahagi sa inyo, kailangan po muna nating umaksyon. Hindi pa po ito ang tamang panahon para i-reveal kung ano po ang dapat gawin ng pamahalaan para sa mga biktima ng kakulangan ng suplay ng tubig (We will release the recommendation at the proper time. For now, we need to act first before revealing what steps the government will take for those affected by the water supply shortage),” she said.
Several local governments and consumers have raised issues over PrimeWater’s service quality in recent months, prompting the national government to step in.
PrimeWater, which operates under joint venture agreements (JVAs) with several local water districts, is part of the Villar family’s business group.
According to LWUA, the termination of JVAs PrimeWater and local water districts around the country is being considered by the government.
It was also noted that PrimeWater’s deals increased around 2019 when Senator Mark Villar was head of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), then the supervising agency of LWUA, during the previous administration. (PNA)