Gives firm 10 days to get digging permit
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO — A committee of the Pampanga Sangguniang Panlalawigan raised public health concern for over 700 households and some 500 students in Pilar Village, setting 10 days for a firm to get a permit to replace old asbestos pipes in the water distribution system.
“Kindly get your excavation permit in 10 days and if you cannot, we can intercede to help you obtain it,” Provincial Board Member Christian Halili, chair of the SP’s Committee on Energy, Water and Public Utilities, told Pilar Waterworks Corp. officials on Wednesday.
The PWC supplied water for 50 years now. It cited the plan to replace the asbestos pipes in its 2016-2020 business plan that it submitted to the National Water Resources Board in 2021 when it sought rates increases. The PWC admitted not replacing the pipes in its 2021-2030 business plan, attributing the nine-year delay to the “recent pandemic and economic factors.”
The 10-day deadline began on Aug. 14, Halili said in the first hearing joined by Board Member Cherry Manalo. He set the next hearing by September.
Halili, Manalo and Board Member Atty. Claire David-Lim, chair of the committee on rules, heard the petition signed by 300 homeowners since May 31. At least 15 signatories including Daryl Malonzo, president of the Infant Jesus Academy, were present. The Pilar Village campus of the IJA has 491 students.
PETITION
In their petition set to be submitted to the NWRB after an endorsement by the whole legislative board, the signatories alleged regulatory violation by PWC. “The use of asbestos is strictly regulated in the Philippines under the Chemical Control Order for Asbestos (DENR Administrative Order No. 2000-02), issued pursuant to RA 6969 (Toxic Substances and Hazardous and Nuclear Wastes Control Act of 1990). PWC’s continued reliance on asbestos pipes contravenes national health and environmental standards,” a part of the petition read.
The petitioners also cited severe health risks, adding that “asbestos fibers are carcinogenic and can contaminate water used for drinking, cooking, and washing.”
“Prolonged exposure increases risks of cancers (e.g., mesothelioma, lung cancer) and other respiratory diseases. The residents of Pilar Village remain at unacceptable risk due to PWC’s inaction,” they said.
EXCAVATION
Based on the minutes of a July 31 meeting called by the City of San Fernando’s legal office on the petition of homeowners, the PWC attached an application for an excavation and ground preparation permit dated July 9, 2025 when it applied for a Construction Safety and Health Program of the Department of Labor and Employment last June 19 for the “rehabilitation of Pilar Waterworks Corporations’ entire water distribution system” in Pilar Village.
PWC president Engr. Warlito Tajanlangit said in a July 30 letter that PWC was in the process of complying with the DOLE’s regulatory requirements, which were needed to secure an excavation permit from city building officials.
Pressed by David-Lim to state the timeline of the digging and pipe laying for the new water distribution network, PWC operations manager Benito Dacusay initially replied five years or until 2030. Dacusay told the committee that PWC has begun purchasing materials since October 2024.
Ramon Guevarra, the immediate past president of the Pilar Village Homeowners Association, said the PWC has not informed the officers or residents about its plan.
Tonette Orejas, the lead petititioner, requested the provincial board to proceed with endorsing the petition to the NWRB as the proper regulatory agency.
