Five years into the aggressive investment program of Maynilad Water Services, Inc. (Maynilad), customers from Paranaque City rose by 196%, from only 36,480 accounts at the end of 2007 to 108,112 accounts by the first half of 2012.
Of its current Paranaque customers, 100% have 24-hour uninterrupted water supply, up from only 24% who enjoyed the same service level at the end of 2007.
The company has more than doubled those who enjoy water pressure of at least 7 pounds per square inch (psi) in Paranaque, from only 45% to 99% during the same period. It takes about 7 psi for water to reach the second floor of a building.
Before Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC) and DMCI Holdings Inc. (DMCIHI) took over Maynilad in 2007, Paranaque residents had to bear with irregular and expensive water delivery services and private deep wells. Large subdivisions suffered through rotating water supply schedules and typical households spent around P3,000 for a month\’s water supply.
Today, Maynilad customers in Paranaque have uninterrupted supply of potable water at an affordable price. Households that consume 30 cu.m. of water a month pay only P830.n
Barangay Sto. Nino Chairperson Engr. Ismael de Leon shares his experience and appreciation. “Dati-rati, nirarasyunan kami ng tubig sa aming lugar na ni hindi namin alam kung saan nanggagaling. Pagdating dito ng Maynilad, bukod sa naging mas kampante na kami sa kalidad ng aming tubig, malaki pa ang namenos namin sa aming mga gastusin. (Before, we used to rely on water delivery services, not knowing where they sourced their water. When Maynilad arrived in our area, not only are we now assured of the quality of our water, we are also able to generate a lot of savings.)”
“When the MPIC and DMCIHI took over in 2007, the infrastructure we inherited needed a lot of upgrading. Fortunately, the new owners had the resources and commitment to turn the company around. We\’re glad that our customers in Paranaque are now enjoying and recognizing the improvements we\’ve been making.” said Maynilad President and CEO Ricky P. Vargas. “We will continue our aggressive capital expenditure program to improve service levels in more areas south of Metro Manila.”
For this year alone, Maynilad allotted P3.08 billion for capital expenditure projects in the Paranaque, Las Pinas, Muntinlupa and Cavite. This includes the reinforcement of pipelines along Daang Hari Highway from Muntinlupa and Las Pinas, replacement of old pipes in several areas of Paranaque, and installation of new pipelines in Cavite.
Maynilad is the largest private water concessionaire in the Philippines in terms of customer base. It is a concessionaire of the MWSS for the West Zone of the Greater Manila Area, which is composed of the cities of Manila (all but portions of San Andres & Sta. Ana), Quezon City (west of San Juan River, West Avenue, EDSA, Congressional, Mindanao Avenue, the northern part starting from the Districts of the Holy Spirit & Batasan Hills), Makati (west of South Super Highway), Caloocan, Pasay, Paranaque, Las Pinas, Muntinlupa, Valenzuela, Navotas and Malabon all in Metro Manila; the cities of Bacoor, Cavite and Imus, and the towns of Kawit, Noveleta and Rosario, all in Cavite Province.