Metro Manila, Philippines – Consumers may soon be spared from paying for prolonged poor water service under an order being drafted by regulators, though officials said refunds for past service failures will still require further study.
During a Senate public services committee hearing on water woes on Wednesday, Dec. 3, the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) and the National Water Resources Board (NWRB) disclosed that they are working on a joint memorandum circular to this effect.
“If the service level required of a water district including of its partner is not met for more than a month, hindi kailangan magbayad at hindi pwedeng putulan (the consumer does not need to pay and their service cannot be disconnected),” LWUA chief Jose Moises Salonga said.
“We’ve been getting reports na wala na ngang tubig tapos naniningil pa rin ([here’s no water supply and yet consumers are still being billed],” he added.
He said they target to issue the order within the month.
His statements were in response to questions raised by Senate Deputy Majority Leader Risa Hontiveros, who asked if consumers could expect refunds.
Senate public services committee chairman Raffy Tulfo also pressed on what happens to payments made despite water service interruptions or poor quality water.
Salonga said the methodology for such refunds still needs further study, with an initial timeline of three months.
“Kasi kailangan natin tingan kailan natigil iyan, kailan yung bayad nila [Because we need to look at when the service interruption began and when consumers made their payments],” he said.
