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By Angelo S. Samonte, Reporter
METRO Manila’s two major water concessionaires
are reducing their rates for low-income households in Metro Manila
and for some parts of Cavite and Rizal starting March 10, Malacañang
announced on Monday.
Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said the Manila
Water Co. Inc. and Maynilad Water Services Inc. are voluntarily
reducing their current water rates by 20 percent in response to
President Gloria Arroyo’s pro-poor policies.
Beside from heeding the call of the President,
Bunye said the two water concessionaires are cutting their rates
after Alberto Agra, the officer in charge of the Metropolitan
Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) made a request for a rate
reduction.
With the rate cut, around 80,000 households in
the East Zone will only pay P71 a month instead of P88, Bunye said.
The East Zone consists of Cubao, Marikina, Pasig, Taguig, San Juan,
Mandaluyong, and parts of Quezon City, Makati, Manila and Rizal.
For the West Zone, households paying P116.40 a
month will only pay P95.90 a month with the rate cut. These
households include the low-income consumers in the Pasay, Navotas,
Caloocan, Malabon, Valenzuela, Paranaque, parts of Quezon City and
Makati City.
West Zone also covers parts of Cavite like Imus,
Noveleta, Cavite City and Bacoor. Maynilad also serves Muntinlupa,
Las Piñas and some areas of Manila.
The water rate reduction will benefit 150,000
households involving round 1.3 million individuals who consume 10
cubic meters of water or less a month.
“A total of 230,000 households, or 1.3 million
people will enjoy the water rate cuts,” Bunye said, adding that
the MWSS together with the two concessionaires are continually
exploring other means to further reduce water rates.
Consumers could expect another round of water
rate cuts this April as a result of a reduction in the Foreign
Currency Differential Adjustment from the continued strength of the
peso against the US dollar, Bunye said.
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