SOME consumers of the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) have questioned the implementation of a 12 percent water rate increase effective Wednesday, October 1, 2025, saying supply remains unreliable in many areas.
During Beyond the Headlines, SunStar Cebu’s online news and commentary program, on Tuesday, September 30, several listeners complained that it is difficult to justify another increase when many households still face rotational schedules and weak pressure.
They urged MCWD to improve its services first, including ensuring a round-the-clock steady flow, saying some of them have to stay up late or wake up at dawn just to store water because pressure is too low during the day.
A consumer, who requested anonymity, from Barangay Banilad, Mandaue City, told SunStar Cebu that his September bill was P238. He feared it could reach almost P300 next month after the hike, up from around P190 before MCWD’s provisional increase in March 2025.
The adjustment, he said, could strain his family’s monthly budget amid rising prices of goods and services.
Another consumer from Barangay Kamputhaw, Cebu City, said she was unhappy with the “sudden increase.” Her family pays an average of P500 a month but still has to wake up early to store water.
She said she was not against MCWD’s investments as the reason for the hike, but added that improvements should already be felt by consumers.
Explanation
MCWD spokesperson Minerva Gerodias, in an interview with Beyond the Headlines, acknowledged the gaps and said the utility’s current production of 320,000 cubic meters daily barely covers about half of Metro Cebu’s estimated demand of 600,000 to 700,000 cubic meters.
“We are still catching up,” Gerodias said, citing non-revenue water losses from leaks, pilferage and firefighting.
She said MCWD produced only 170,000 cubic meters per day in 2022 but has since raised output with additional sources.
Gerodias explained that revenue from the increase will fund pipe rehabilitation, new sources and expansion projects, including supplying mountain barangays such as Busay, Pulangbato, Agsungot and Guba in Cebu City.
Postponed increase
The hike is MCWD’s second this year, following a provisional increase last March approved by the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA).
“With the 12 percent increase, we will have more resources for pipeline renewal and expansion. Our target is to cover 60 percent of Metro Cebu’s total demand in 10 years,” she said.
However, Gerodias said this was not technically a second increase for 2025. MCWD first applied for an adjustment in 2022 after postponing a 2020 petition because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
LWUA approved the provisional increase in March 2025 while reviewing the application.
She added that during the 2022 public hearing, there was no adverse reaction, but MCWD was urged to improve its services.
Necessary hike
Gerodias maintained that the hike is necessary to sustain operations, noting that utilities are entitled to rate adjustments every five years.
She said recent projects include the Lusaran bulk water supply and two desalination plants in Cebu City and Mandaue, each expected to add 20,000 cubic meters daily in the coming years.
She also confirmed that the Cordova desalination plant, operated by Vivant, can already produce 20,000 cubic meters daily but remains idle because MCWD lacks pipelines to distribute the water.
The existing pipelines in Lapu-Lapu City are too small and outdated to absorb the additional supply. MCWD had awarded pipelaying projects, but contractors failed to secure permits from the Lapu-Lapu City Government, causing delays.
Without new pipelines, the bulk supply from Vivant remains unused. Gerodias said MCWD is coordinating with the City Government to move the project forward, though no timeline has been set.
She added that expansion to island barangays like Olango and Gilutongan has no timeline because of the high cost of desalination and lack of local sources. (EHP)