Mayor renews call for water district privatization

ILOILO City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog has renewed the call for privatization of the Metro Iloilo Water District (MIWD), or will give authority to any water distributor to supply water in the city.

Fed up with numerous complaints everyday from city constituents, Mabilog admitted that the MIWD has not solved the water shortage problem in the city. In fact, the situation aggravated everyday and resorted to water rationing in several areas despite the heavy rains.

Mabilog said the water shortage in Iloilo is a big hindrance to the city development as more business locators are starting to look the city as the next possible expansion site in the Visayas.

Among big businesses here that already started location are the Ayala Corp. Megaworld Corp. and other big Manila and Makati-based businesses that are looking for sufficient water and power supply.

The Castilia report conducted four years ago showed that development in Iloilo City will be fast-tracked rapidly with a privatized water distribution system spearheaded by a private body.

Mabilog said he will soon call for a massive consultation and dialogue among different sectors in the city to gather their sentiments about the MIWD services.

He said a task force will be created soon to lead in the public hearings.

“The people will have to be consulted about the issue, whether to privatize the water distribution but with an increase water rate or not to privatize and suffer the consequence of stagnant development,” Mabilog said. (Lydia C. Pendon)