CEBU CITY, PHILIPPINES — The Cebu City Council is considering an ordinance that would allow private bulk water suppliers to directly serve the mountain barangays. This measure aims to alleviate chronic water shortages and reduce dependence on the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD).
Authored by Councilor Alvin Arcilla, the proposal comes in response to prolonged service interruptions that left thousands of households in upland communities without water.
Arcilla pointed to barangays Talamban, Bacayan, Pit-os, Binaliw, Pulang Bato, San Jose, Guba, and Agsungot as among the hardest hit, saying residents have been forced to source water elsewhere for weeks.
The ordinance declares water supply inadequacy in upland barangays a matter of urgent public concern, citing rapid urban growth and MCWD’s failure to prioritize underserved areas.
It seeks to encourage the entry of qualified private suppliers, subject to permits and regulatory compliance, to augment the city’s water distribution system.
Arcilla anchored the measure on the Supreme Court ruling in MCWD vs. Margarita A. Adala (G.R. No. 168914), which affirmed that MCWD’s franchise is not exclusive.
This legal precedent, he argued, gives Cebu City the authority to invite other providers when public welfare is at stake.
The proposal also requires suppliers to prioritize host barangays where water sources or pumping stations are located, ensuring that communities directly affected by extraction benefit from the supply.
Non-compliance would subject suppliers—including MCWD itself—to sanctions ranging from corrective measures to administrative or even criminal action.
If adopted, the ordinance would mark a significant policy shift, positioning Cebu City as an active regulator of water distribution and opening the door for competition in a sector long dominated by MCWD.
| Written by Caecent No-ot Magsumbol
