ILOILO CITY—More than 50,000 water consumers across seven Iloilo towns—Maasin, Cabatuan, Pavia, Sta. Barbara, Leganes, San Miguel, and Oton—will face higher water bills starting next month after the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) approved a rate adjustment for Metro Pacific Iloilo Water (MPIW).

From the current PHP20 per cubic meter for households consuming up to 10 cubic meters monthly, the rate will increase to PHP28.67 per cubic meter. The implementation will come in two tranches: PHP25.20 per cubic meter in November 2025 and an additional PHP3.47 per cubic meter by March 2026.

“This water adjustment will cover not our projects, but our operational expenditures such as salaries, electricity, and fuel costs to maintain water distribution in Iloilo,” said MPIW Commercial Head Kathleen Sadio in a press briefing Friday, October 3.

MPIW data show that an average household consuming 10 cubic meters per month currently pays about PHP200. Under the new rate, the same household will pay PHP252.02 in November and PHP286.70 by March 2026.

Sadio said this is the company’s first rate adjustment in six years, after its 2019 proposal was deferred due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, MPIW cited a 33-percent annual increase in bulk water costs and a 74-percent jump in materials prices.

However, the announcement sparked a flood of criticism from netizens, many of whom complained that MPIW’s service has not improved despite the higher rates.

“Poor service but higher bills—that should be your new slogan,” one commenter said.

Another wrote, “Pity the Ilonggos—first, we are burdened by higher real property taxes, then this water rate increase, and on top of that, we still suffer from corruption in government.”

A third netizen added, “All they do is raise rates, but the service never changes. Poor service, but expensive bills—that should be MPIW’s slogan.”

Iloilo City Mayor Raisa Treñas earlier wrote MPIW, emphasizing that “safe and clean water is not just a basic need—it is a right that directly affects the health, livelihood, and daily life of every Ilonggo family.”

“I urged MPIW to spell out, in plain and specific terms, its plans and actions to bring down non-revenue water losses,” she said.

The mayor further noted that although MPIW has been operating in Iloilo City for five years, many residents still suffer from inadequate water supply.

“By now, our people should already be enjoying a reliable, sufficient, and uninterrupted water supply,” Treñas stressed.

MPIW, for its part, vowed to continue improving service reliability in Iloilo City and the province amid growing demand.