Marikina Mayor Marjorie Ann Teodoro has ordered the emergency appropriation of P15 million to partially settle a massive utility debt that left a local barangay without water just days before Christmas.

Teodoro called on the Marikina City Council to immediately pass an ordinance for the funds after Manila Water disconnected service to Barangay Tumana on Thursday. The cutoff followed the discovery that local officials had allegedly failed to remit more than P37.1 million in residents’ payments to the utility provider.

The mayor described the intervention as a “decisive” move to restore essential services while promising to hold those responsible for the missing funds accountable.

“This intervention is both compassionate and prudent, providing immediate relief while ensuring accountability in the use of public funds,” Teodoro said in a letter to the council.

Residents in the area receive water through the “Patubig sa Tumana” program, a memorandum of agreement where the barangay collects payments from households and remits them to Manila Water.

However, officials said Barangay Captain Akiko Centeno failed to transfer the collections, allowing the debt to balloon to P37,192,199.98 as of early December.

Manila Water disconnected 13 common watering points under the agreement after repeated demands for payment went ignored. The utility has given the barangay 15 days to settle the full balance.

Teodoro stressed that the city government has a legal and moral obligation under the Local Government Code to protect the welfare of its constituents, especially with public health at risk.

The P15 million allocation is intended as an initial payment to facilitate the immediate reconnection of the supply so that affected families can have water for the holiday season.