CEBU CITY, PHILIPPINES — Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival said he has asked Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) Board Chairman Ruben D. Almendras to prioritize the reduction of non-revenue water (NRW), which he said results in losses of up to ₱6.5 million per day for the city.
During their initial meeting with Almendras, the newly installed chairman of the MCWD, Archival stated that they agreed to prioritize the issue of water losses within the system. Specifically, they aimed to address the discrepancy between the volume of bulk water supply and actual consumption.
The mayor mentioned that approximately 300,000 cubic meters of water are supplied daily to the MCWD by bulk water providers; however, only about 200,000 cubic meters actually reach consumers. This indicates that around 100,000 cubic meters of water are wasted in the city every day.
“Non-revenue, mao nay pasabot nga walay revenue or kadaghanan nawa’ or wastage (water),” Archival explained, as he cited that the losses amount to about ₱6.5 million a day for the city.
The mayor added that if the city and MCWD are able to address the ₱6.5 million in losses, this amount could already serve as a source of funds for water services.
“Kung ma-cure sa city and MCWD ang ₱6.5 million, dili ‘ni malabay, source na ‘ni sa tubig daan,” he said, adding that this is what they consider a “low-hanging fruit.”
He said that, aside from continuously looking for new water sources, it is also important to prioritize water that is already available and paid for by the city, but is being wasted.
“Ari ‘ta sad tubig nga nakit-an na nato daan, naa na, gibayran na nato, niya na usik-usik lang,” Archival said.
The mayor said this was the first issue they discussed with Almendras following the latter’s return as MCWD chairman.
Almendras officially returned to the helm of MCWD on January 29, 2026, after previously serving as chairman from 1995 to 2004.
Almendras’ reappointment to the civic sector seat in December 2025 by Mayor Archival restored quorum to the MCWD board after months of uncertainty.
The chairman said MCWD’s “basic problem is that their cost of water is more than the revenues of the water sold,” citing high bulk water costs, non-revenue water from leakages and pilferage at 32 percent, and delayed rate adjustments.
He warned that MCWD has suffered years of net losses and negative cash flow, stressing the need to urgently address profitability and liquidity to sustain services for over 200,000 connections across Metro Cebu.
While Mayor Archival’s direct appointment of Almendras has revived debates on executive influence, Almendras’ return is widely viewed as a stabilizing move as MCWD grapples with financial losses, aging infrastructure, and supply instability.
| Written by Kristin de Dios
