METRO ILOILO Water District’s (MIWD) rate increase application of P41 for every 10 cubic meters (cu. m.), filed in August 2017, is still being reviewed by the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) while a public consultation is set to be held this month. The rate increase, if approved, would translate to a monthly P200 average bill for households consuming 10 cu.m., up 26% from the current P159. LWUA Administrator Jeci A. Lapus, who was in Iloilo City last week for the Philippine Association of Water Districts’ 39th annual convention, said evaluation is ongoing and that “everything is being processed slowly but surely.” MIWD spokesperson Olive Ledesma said the last time the water distributor sought a rate increase was in 2004. “We need to cope with the inflation rate as well as our operating expenses,” she said, noting that MIWD currently has the lowest rate in Panay Island. MIWD covers Iloilo City and parts of Iloilo province. — Louine Hope Conserva

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