No water rate hike in 2019, DCWD assures

No water rate hike in 2019, DCWD assures

DABAWENYOS could heave a sigh of relief as the Davao City Water District (DCWD) bared that there will be no water rate increase this year.

DCWD deputy spokesperson Jovana Cresta Duhaylungsod, during the press briefing on Monday, March 11, allayed the fears of the public on looming water rate hike in 2019, citing that several requirements needs to be complied first before implementing such a change.

“For this year, it is safe to say wala po (water rate increase). If ever kasi we are going to do some water rate increases, we need a lead time of around one to two years for that because we have to comply with the necessary requirements,” she said.

Among the requirements that need to be complied with is the conduct of a public hearing with various stakeholders and then a sit-down session where the rates will be presented. Thus, she assured that the water rate hike will “not come as a surprise”.

She underscored that the determination of the rate will be identified by a regulating body and the increase should not be more than the 60 percent of the existing water rate. An increase is necessary to enable the district to expand its facilities and sustain the maintenance of water supply.

“As of now, I have to say, among the water districts in the Philippines, Davao City still remains to be the cheapest in terms of water rates,” she said.

The DCWD water rates for one half meter which is common to all residential connections is 137.40 for the first 10 cubic meter while rates for commercial establishments depend on their classifications. But it is much higher than residential consumers considering that they consume ample amount of water.

She said the last time that DCWD raised water rates was still in 2005, during the term of former Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte. However, instead of 60 percent, the mayor requested the DCWD to lower the rate increase to 30 percent to lessen complaints from the public.

In 2011, they asked again the city government if they could implement the remaining 30 percent of the increase but Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, who was the mayor at that time, asked that the 30 percent be implemented in tranches.

“Mayor Sara, because she also doesn’t want to burden the consumers, she also asked us if kaya pa ba namo to implement the rate in tranches meaning 10 percent for three years. So that’s what we did. We implemented 10 percent in 2012, 2013 and 10 percent in 2014,” Duhaylungsod added.

In 2018, when they sat down with the management, there were still no talks of any water rate increase for 2019. She said they will have a sit-down meeting again to determine if DCWD could still carry out the operation and adjust with the soaring prices of supplies and materials, inflation, and other external factors.

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