Villar water firm plays deaf to consumer grievances

by Sentinel Times Research Staff August 19, 2021 PrimeWater (Photo from https://bilyonaryo.com/) LUCENA CITY - Unperturbed by mounting consu...

by Sentinel Times Research Staff
August 19, 2021

PrimeWater (Photo from https://bilyonaryo.com/)

LUCENA CITY - Unperturbed by mounting consumer complaints, Primewater Corp., the nationwide water utility firm owned by billionaire Manuel B. Villar and wife Cynthia A. Villar has, it seems, no ear to hear gripes, the firm's rank and file personnel hardly heeding woes brought up by household clients.

The Villar outfit, engaged in nationwide building and installation of transmission and distribution lines, development of water supply, and management and operation of water supply and septic management facilities, hardly has time to attend to consumer concerns, and has its sights trained on acquisition of local water districts, and expansion of its operations.



As Aynd Rand would have shrugged a bit of opinion, "If a businessman makes a mistake, he suffers the consequences. If a bureaucrat makes a mistake, you suffer the consequences". But bureaucrats and businessmen hereabouts are of the same ilk-- so the hapless taxpayer or end-user pays for such, or as the cliche goes, "crime does not."

Neither does grievances and bellyaching at unsatisfactory services convert to votes to unseat a Villar in public office-- lawmaker Cynthia A. Villar emerged tops in the recent senatorial polls that indicates massive popular support for the Villar political leadership and business management.



To allay fears of some 45,000 households served by Quezon Metropolitan Water District, that the Villar outfit has taken over the water district, QMWD board chairman Vicente Joyas stressed back in 2017 that they borrowed P147 million loan from the Development Bank of the Philippines to upgrade facilities and lines rather than go into a joint venture with Primewater.

Reports of the Villar bid for a JVA with QMWD has prompted 2 percent of its 140 personnel to consider optionalretirement, despite the Primewater offer of a 4 times rate increase for employees opting for early retirement. However, the Villars inevitably acquired the operations and management of the water district.



By 2019, end-users served by the new owners had to endure water shortages that last for months.

Locals share similar woes with residents of Marilao in Bulacan, Bacolod City and Zamboanga City, airing complaints of the high charges and sloppy services of Prime Water.

In the Hidilyn Diaz turf, the Zamboanga City Water District augments the supply because Prime Water only provides 28.8 million liters a day (MLD) although it is required to supply 50 MLD under its contract, according to former Anakpawis party list Rep. Ariel Casilao.

San Pablo, Laguna residents, Casilao said, had water charges rising to P1,200 monthly from P400.

He added that there were complaints of mass layoffs in Quezon, Lemery in Batangas, Los Baños and San Pablo in Laguna, Batangas City and Rosario in Batangas, and Daraga in Albay after the takeover of Prime Water operations.

Those in Gapan, Nueva Ecija have complained that the water supplied them was murky.

Casilao said it was “lamentable that profit and not improved services and the desire to provide adequate water supply was the prime interest behind the takeover” of the water firm.

The grievance aired by a Lucena resident is a mere drip in the bucket of woes that Primewater end-users have to bear like a cross: "Wow talaga #Primewater dun sa unang bill pinuntahan ko kayo at sabi niyo icheck ninyo pero bakit tumaas yung charge niyo sa akin, pero ni isa wala pumunta. Tapos ngayon wala man lang pasabi puputulan niyo at sasabihin niyo 3 months hindi bayad? Ito yung bill! Gusto ko sana puntahan ulit kayo pero waste of time magsasayang lang ako ng boses at maiistress lang sa mga walang kwenta niyo staff at saksakan ng kayabangan."