THE Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) is operating without the legal ability to pass resolutions or award contracts due to a lack of board members.
Operations are stalled because the board has only two recognized members, falling short of the three required to form a quorum under Presidential Decree (PD) 198. This leadership vacuum occurs as parts of Metro Cebu struggles with water interruptions following typhoon Tino (Kalmaegi), leaving the utility unable to approve urgent measures needed to stabilize the supply.
How does a non-functional board affect the recovery of water services in Metro Cebu?
The legal requirement for a quorum. The MCWD board requires a minimum of three members present to conduct official business. This rule is established by PD 198, the decree governing local water districts. With only two sitting directors — business sector representative Miguelito Pato and women’s sector representative Jodelyn May Seno — the board cannot vote on key issues.
Because the board cannot meet the quorum, the water district is unable to:
Pass resolutions;
Award contracts for repairs or new projects; and
Issue policy directives necessary for service continuity.
A source familiar with the operations said the absence of a quorum “renders the board nonfunctional,” stripping the utility of the authority to make major decisions.
The remaining MCWD board members, Pato, Seno and Professional sector representative John Rey Saavedra, reportedly held at least four board meetings in November 2025 after receiving the letter from Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA), dated Nov. 4, about Saavedra’s seat vacancy. MCWD received the letter on Nov. 28.
Reasons for the vacancies. The board’s depletion stems from resignations, invalid appointments and inactivity among specific representatives.
Civic sector. This seat is vacant. Representative Danilo Ortiz resigned effective Oct. 1, 2025.
Professional sector: This seat is vacant. LWUA ruled the appointment of Saavedra invalid because of missing solicitation and nomination documents.
Education sector: This seat is effectively inactive. Representative Earl Bonachita is listed on paper but has not attended meetings since November 2023.
LWUA Administrator Jose Moises Salonga has directed the water district to open formal solicitation processes to fill these gaps, specifically instructing adherence to Section 12 of PD 198.
Pressure from City Hall. The situation at MCWD has drawn the attention of the Cebu City Government. Mayor Nestor Archival wrote to Pato on Dec. 3, urging the immediate submission of nominees for the civic sector and the start of the process for the professional sector.
Although civic groups reportedly met a Nov. 30 deadline for nominations, no list had been transmitted to City Hall by the time the mayor wrote his letter. Archival emphasized that filling these seats is a prerequisite for restoring stable service.
“Your prompt submission of such a list of nominees is critical to allow our office sufficient time for thorough review and the subsequent official appointment process,” Archival said.
Under PD 198, the mayor serves as the appointing authority for the board of directors of a local water district, but cannot act without proper nominations.
Implications for the public. The governance vacuum creates a bottleneck for disaster recovery. With the water supply not yet entirely stable after typhoon Tino, the water district’s inability to act risks delaying repairs, procurement of materials and long-term planning.
This current standstill is part of a longer history of political tension at MCWD, which has previously seen disputes over the authority of local chief executives to remove board members. Until the vacancies are filled and a quorum is restored, the water district remains legally unable to execute the decisions. / CAV