Senator Risa Hontiveros has urged the government to strengthen its oversight of water safety testing nationwide, following reports that a Department of Health (DOH)-accredited laboratory allegedly gave passing marks to unsafe water samples from Laguna.

During the Senate Committee on Public Services hearing on problematic Joint Venture Agreements (JVAs) between water districts and private concessionaires on Tuesday, Hontiveros raised concerns about two laboratories, Cosmolab and Scientia Tech.

Local water district officials later found that these samples actually failed at least one safety parameter.

“Sa inyo (DOH) namin ipapadala itong addresses ng Cosmolab at Scientia Tech.. para ma-double check…. and as the chair said, matanggalan ng accreditation if you so warrant (We will send the addresses of Cosmolab and Scientia Tech to the DOH for re-evaluation… and as the chair said, they should be stripped of their accreditation if warranted,” Hontiveros emphasized.

“Amazing talaga na ipapasa ang isang water sample na dapat po ay bagsak! (It is unbelievable that a water sample that should have failed was marked as passed!),” she added. 

The senator expressed outrage over the alleged malpractice, highlighting the vital role of water safety tests in protecting Filipino families who rely on water supplied by local water districts and private operators.

“Yung ganyang failed pala sa isang parameter, tapos palalabasin, overall “passed,” parang sa pelikula lang nangyayari iyan eh (Failing in even one parameter but still being declared overall ‘passed’ is something you only see in movies),” she lamented. 

Hontiveros questioned the DOH’s oversight mechanisms of accredited laboratories, stressing the urgent need to improve monitoring.

“Paano po itong water testing facility sa Santa Cruz, nag-test ng tubig tapos may typographical error daw na resulta na failed. Pero lumabas ang over-all assessment ay passed? Hindi niyo po ba ino-oversee yang ganyang facilities para hindi po mag-falsify ng resulta at ilagay sa panganib ang kalusugan ng mga tao? (How can a water testing facility in Santa Cruz produce a failed result with a typographical error, yet the overall assessment was ‘passed’? Isn’t there proper supervision to prevent falsified results that endanger public health?” Hontiveros asked.

In response, DOH Engineer Luis Cruz explained that the Health Facilities and Services Regulatory Bureau is responsible for accrediting water safety testing labs, and that all complaints against erring labs are referred to the bureau.

The senator also called for greater collaboration among government agencies to implement “urgent solutions” addressing water supply issues across the country.

She stressed that public access to basic services should never be compromised by unfair contracts, and that the government must intervene if service commitments are unmet to ensure communities receive safe and sufficient water.

"Consumers deserve clean and safe water. Supplying unsafe water poses a direct threat to public health. We must protect our people from the double dangers of inadequate supply and contaminated water,” Hontiveros asserted.