MANILA, Philippines — Representatives of private water concessionaires and government officials have been invited to the Senate inquiry into the water supply shortage in Metro Manila and nearby areas.
The Senate committee on public services, headed by Sen. Grace Poe, will conduct a hearing on water shortage next Tuesday.
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Below is a list of invited resource persons for the Senate probe into the water shortage:
- Geodino Carpio - Chief Operating Officer, Manila Water
- Nestor Jeric Sevilla Jr. - Corporate Communications Head, Manila Water
- Randy Estrellado - Chief Operating Officer, Maynilad Water Services
- Edgar Doña - General Manager, Luzon Clean Water Development Corp.
- Guillermo Tabios - Director, University of the Philippines National Hydraulic Research Center
- Roy Cimatu - Secretary, Department of Environment and Natural Resources
- Emmanuel Piñol - Secretary, Department of Agriculture
- Mark Villar - Secretary, Department of Public Works and Highways
- Jeci Lapus - Administrator, Local Water Utilities Administration
- Sevillo David Jr. - Executive Director, National Water Resources Board
- Vicente Malano - Administrator, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
- Reynaldo Velasco - Administrator, Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System
- Patrick Ty - Chief Regulator, Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System
Poe pointed out that east zone concessionaire Manila Water has a lot to explain on the water shortage in Metro Manila and nearby province.
Manila Water customers in Quezon City, Mandaluyong, Makati, Marikina, Makati, Pasig and Rizal province have been experiencing water supply interruptions since last week due to "operational adjustments."
"Three weeks ago, walang abiso at hindi ramdam na magkukulang ang tubig. Tapos bigla na lang magigising ka na wala na? Tama ba naman ‘yon?" Poe said.
The senator questioned why almost half of Metro Manila experienced water shortage when water level at Angat Dam was normal at 199.63, far from the 180-meter critical mark.
Manila Water had explained that it is limited to an allocated supply of 1,600 million liters per day (MLD) from Angat Dam, which is 40 percent of the dam's allocated volume for MWSS. Water demand in the east concession zone has exceeded 1,600 MLD.
"While it is true that Angat water level is currently normal, water from Angat is conveyed through several tunnels and aqueducts into La Mesa, before it reaches to the Balara Treatment Plants and the East La Mesa Treatment Plant," Manila Water said in an explainer sent to the Philippine Stock Exchange.
Water level at the La Mesa Dam has dipped to 68.74 meters as of 6 a.m. on March 14, its lowest since 1998. The dam's level is expected go down further for the rest of the summer.