Marcos vows action on poor water delivery, LWUA submits docs to OP

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. vowed firm government action against those responsible for poor water delivery during his State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday.

The Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) chief, Jose Moises Joy Salonga, announced a comprehensive strategy to hold private partners accountable and improve troubled joint ventures between local water districts and private firms.

Salonga emphasized that there is a plan in place but details cannot be disclosed yet due to ongoing investigations. The LWUA has submitted two boxes of documents on the issue to the Office of the President (OP).

The administration aims to address deeper systemic issues, including regulatory reform and potentially creating a Department of Water to centralize oversight.

PrimeWater Infrastructure Corporation, owned by Villar, faces challenges in delivering water services to 77 out of 103 water districts due to insufficient investments, affecting about 6.5 to 7 million Filipinos.