In photo: A Maynilad employee installs individual meters for the residents of Purok Biyaya, Caloocan City. Maynilad recently connected Purok Biyaya to its water network, enabling 141 urban poor families to have access to potable and affordable water supply.
By Victoria “NIKE” De Dios
West Zone concessionaire, Maynilad Water Services, Inc. (Maynilad) recently connected Purok Biyaya in Barangay 167 of Caloocan City to its water network, giving some 141 urban poor families access to safe and affordable water supply.
For almost 24 years, Purok Biyaya residents relied on expensive deliveries of deep well water from private water truck operators, as issues with land ownership and right-of-way clearance prevented Maynilad from connecting their community to its network.
“Ang delivery ng tubig dito, nasa 40 pesos ang isang drum. Tinitipid namin ‘yun kasi mahirap ang walang tubig. Kapag naubos, nakikiigib kami,” said Purok Biyaya resident Teudula Teraytay.
Families in Purok Biyaya typically consume around 48 drums per month (or 10 cubic meters), so they used to spend around P1,920 a month just to have water for their household needs. Now that they have a Maynilad connection, their monthly spending for potable water has dropped to only P130 for the same volume of water.
Residents of Purok Biyaya like Ederlina dela Cruz expressed their happiness for what they consider a huge blessing to their community. “Nakatira na po ako dito since 1989, at naranasan naming manghingi at maghakot ng tubig. Kaya nagpapasalamat ako na nagkaroon na din kami ng tubig sa pamamagitan ng Maynilad.”
The water company continuously seeks to extend services to urban poor households within its concession area. “Everyone has the right to enjoy safe water supply at affordable rates. This is why we strive to connect these poor communities which, ironically, are spending more for water than those in affluent areas,” said Maynilad President and CEO Ramoncito S. Fernandez.
Maynilad is the largest private water concessionaire in the Philippines in terms of customer base. It is the agent and contractor of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) for the West Zone of the Greater Manila Area, which is composed of the cities of Manila (certain portions), Quezon City (certain portions), Makati (west of South Super Highway), Caloocan, Pasay, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, Valenzuela, Navotas and Malabon all in Metro Manila; the cities of Cavite, Bacoor and Imus, and the towns of Kawit, Noveleta and Rosario, all in Cavite Province.