For several years now, the subscribers of the City of San Fernando Pampanga Water District (CSFPWD), in partnership with PrimeWater Infrastructure through a Joint Venture Agreement (JVA), have been experiencing persistent and unresolved problems involving water quality, service reliability, billing concerns, and lack of transparency in operations.
As consumers, taxpayers, and citizens, we are now compelled to ask:
What has the City of San Fernando Pampanga Water District done to protect the interest of the Fernandinos?
The Legal Mandate of CSFPWD
CSFPWD was created under Presidential Decree No. 198 (The Provincial Water Utilities Act of 1973) as a public utility tasked to provide safe, reliable, and affordable water to the people it serves.
Under P.D. 198, Section 31, the Board of Directors is responsible for ensuring:
• Effective oversight of operations
• Enforcement of performance standards
• Protection of consumer interests
• Transparency and accountability in management
The salaries, benefits, and operations of CSFPWD are paid by the subscribers themselves—the households, businesses, schools, hospitals, and institutions of San Fernando.
Therefore, the Fernandinos have every right to demand transparency, accountability, and answers.
Yet until today, the public has never been given access to the full Joint Venture Agreement with PrimeWater.
We cannot evaluate what is being hidden from us.
Transparency and Accountability Required by Law
The CSFPWD Board and management are public officials and are bound by:
Republic Act 6713
Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees
Requires public officials to:
• Act promptly on complaints
• Provide information and documents when requested
• Always place public interest above personal or business interest
• Uphold transparency and accountability
Failure to disclose the JVA and performance reports is a violation of RA 6713.
Republic Act 3019
Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act
Penalizes public officials who:
• Cause undue injury to the public through neglect or bad faith
• Give unwarranted benefit or preference to private entities
• Fail to act when duty requires action
If CSFPWD failed to monitor or hold PrimeWater accountable, such failure may constitute gross inexcusable negligence and graft.
Republic Act 11032
Ease of Doing Business and Anti-Red Tape Act
Requires:
• Transparency in public transactions
• Timely response to public concerns
• Clear publication of service performance standards
Failure to address prolonged service complaints and to report openly to the public is a violation of RA 11032.
Observations of Serious Governance Failure
Since the JVA took effect:
• No regular public service performance reports have been released
• No public consultations have been conducted
• No clear corrective actions have been made despite worsening complaints
• PrimeWater continues to operate without visible accountability from CSFPWD
Instead, it is now Mayor Vilma Caluag who has been taking steps to defend and restore the basic rights of consumers.
For that intervention, we extend acknowledgment and thanks.
However, the silence of CSFPWD is not only unacceptable—it is dangerous.
The People Now Demand the Following:
1. Full public disclosure and publication of the Joint Venture Agreement (JVA)
2. Independent performance audit of PrimeWater versus contractual obligations
3. A complete public report of CSFPWD oversight actions since the JVA began
4. Public consultations so that subscribers may speak and be heard
On Accountability and Legal Action
If, upon review, the CSFPWD Board of Directors is found to have:
• Failed to enforce the JVA
• Failed to protect consumer welfare
• Failed to disclose public records
• Failed to act on complaints
• Or allowed undue benefit to PrimeWater
Then we shall pursue the filing of:
• Administrative and criminal cases before the Office of the Ombudsman
• Penalties under P.D. 198, RA 6713, RA 3019, and RA 11032
• Possible intervention by the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA)
Public office is a public trust. When that trust is violated, accountability must follow.
If CSFPWD Can No Longer Serve the People
If CSFPWD cannot uphold its legal mandate to protect the welfare of the Fernandinos, then it may be necessary to:
• Reform, restructure, or replace the institution
• Pursue a model where service standards are enforceable, transparency is non-negotiable, and consumer protection is guaranteed
Water is a basic right.
Water is life.
We will not allow it to be compromised.
Conclusion
This is not political.
This is not personal.
This is about our health, our households, and our everyday survival.
We, the consumers, will no longer remain silent.
We now demand truth, transparency, and accountability.
