Governor Daniel Fernando wanted to revoke the joint venture agreement between water districts in Bulacan province and the Villar-owned PrimeWater Infrastructure Corporation.
This was the governor’s statement despite the numerous complaints his office has received regarding the water crisis caused by PrimeWater’s ‘poor’ water supply, including in the towns of Calumpit, Malolos City, Marilao, and San Jose Del Monte City.
Ferrnando said that he has been receiving complaints against PrimeWater from thousands of residents in the said areas for a long time, which is why he is waiting for the report of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Bulacan regarding the convened committee hearings made recently with the PrimeWater so that immediate action can be taken.
Vice Gov. Alex Castro said they have held committee hearings recently regarding of PrimeWater’s poor services where the SP ordered PrimeWater to release and show the contract or signed memorandum of agreement.
Castro wanted to see the contract because he knew that there was a violation committed by the PrimeWater in the agreement.
Fernando and Castro appealed to the national government, especially to the senate to make an investigation to the matter and also to the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA), to pay attention to the grievances of the Bulakenyo people and intervene in their problems since PrimeWater is allegedly not under the jurisdiction of the local government unit.
“I think this is a national issue na hindi lang problema ng Bulacan, problema rin ito sa ibang mga lugar na dapat nang pakialaman ng national government,” said Castro.
Fernando said that he is only waiting for the Sangguniang Panlalawigan’s report, for him to make an executive order on how the concern be addressed against the PrimeWater.
This is also the sentiment of the San Jose Del Monte City Water District where they have already made a resolution for the pre-termination of their joint venture agreement with Villar-owned PrimeWater Infrastructure Corporation (PWIC).
Tthe San Jose del Monte City Water District Board of Directors has formally moved to pre-terminate its joint venture agreement with PrimeWater amid the severe water crisis affecting thousands of city residents.
According to Bryan Ocampo, City Information Officer of City of San Jose Del Monte (CSJDM), the office of the city mayor has received a letter dated April 10, 2025 from San Jose Water Chairman Aurelio Jose Jr. wherein the Board had passed a Board Resolution No. 15, Series of 2025 on April 3, “directing the issuance of a notice of intent to pre-terminate the joint venture agreement” with PrimeWater.
“We issued the notice to PWIC last April 7, 2025 and referred the matter to our statutory counsel, the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel,” the letter stated.
The move follows months of mounting complaints over unreliable, insufficient, and often non-existent water services across the city, forcing the local government unit (LGU) to step in and provide emergency measures through the directives of Mayor Arthur Robes.
Among these was the large-scale deployment of city-operated water lorries that distributed free water rations daily across affected barangays including Barangay Bagong Buhay 1, Sta. Cruz and San Martin.
The water district’s decision is consistent with its earlier stance. In December 2024, the San Jose del Monte Water District Board also passed a resolution expressing no objection to the requests of several barangays for a new water service provider due to PrimeWater’s failure to sufficiently supply their water needs.
These are the barangays of Kaybanban, San Isidro, San Roque, Paradise Farms and Ciudad Real.
Residents, many of whom have suffered from low to zero water pressure for weeks, expressed deep frustration over PrimeWater’s service failures, citing the disruption of daily life, risks to public health, and additional financial burdens of purchasing water from private suppliers.
Ocampo said according to water concessionaire that around 4 to 5% or 6,400 households out of 128,000 households were affected of water service failure.
Mayor Robes and the city government, responding swiftly to the worsening crisis, implemented several emergency measures aside from deploying water lorries. These included the establishment of emergency water distribution hubs in strategic locations, coordination with nearby LGUs for water-sharing agreements, and the use of mobile water filtration units to provide potable water.
Moreover, the City Health Office intensified its monitoring of sanitation risks in affected communities to prevent outbreaks of waterborne diseases.
The pre-termination process signals a critical step toward ending what many residents call the city’s “unacceptable ordeal” under PrimeWater’s management. Mayor Robes assured constituents that the local government is committed to finding a more competent and reliable water service provider to finally address the people’s urgent needs.
The city government and the San Jose del Monte Water District are expected to initiate further consultations with stakeholders and pursue legal remedies to ensure a seamless transition and protect the welfare of San Joseños.
Photo from Rappler’s video
