Manila Water rates up

MANILA, Philippines — Customers of east zone concessionaire Manila Water Co. Inc. should brace for an increase in water rates after the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) approved the upward adjustment for its mandatory rate rebasing.

The MWSS board of trustees yesterday approved the recommendation of the MWSS Regulatory Office for Manila Water’s increase of P1.46 per cubic meter starting Oct. 16.

The increase of P1.46 per cubic meter is part of the total P6.22 to P6.50 per cu.m. increase to be staggered in the next four years as part of the mandatory five-year rate rebasing for the concessionaires.

Based on the concession agreement, a rate rebasing determines the level of rates for water and sewerage services that permits both concessionaires to recover over the life of the concession period their operating, capital maintenance and investment expenditures.

With the board approval, Manila Water customers will see a P1.46 per cu.m. increase starting mid-October, another P2 each for 2020 and 2021 and another P0.76 to P1.04 per cu.m by 2022.

This would translate to an increase of P5.68 per month for those consuming below 10 cu.m.; P9.13 for those 10 to 20 cu.m.; and up to P19.13 for 20 cu.m. above.