The Metropolitan Cebu Water District clarified on Friday that it has not yet implemented the water rate adjustments for commercial and industrial consumers.

This comes as Cebu Chamber of Commerce and industry president Charles Kenneth Co urged businesses, commercial and industrial establishments in Metro Cebu to implement water-saving and recycling measures to mitigate the impact of the water rate hike once it is imposed.

In a statement, MCWD said the plan did not materialize as it is still waiting for the Local Water Utilities Administration to approve the increase, adding that it asked for an interim approval for a water rate adjustment, specifically limited to the first 30 cubic meters of consumption for commercial, industrial, bulk and wholesale consumers, but LWUA hasn’t acted on the request.

On 18 November 2023, MCWD announced that it would double the rate for commercial customers and triple the rate for industrial consumers starting 1 December 2023.

The rate adjustment excludes residential and government consumers as well as water consumption beyond 30 cubic meters which means that beyond 30 cubic meters for all consumer types, MCWD will continue to charge the current tariff of P48.40 per cubic meter.