City Councilor urges MPIW to hire permanent workers

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

Amid mounting complaints over water service interruptions, Councilor Rex Marcus Sarabia urged Metro Pacific Iloilo Water to hire permanent personnel to accelerate its pipe-laying projects.

Sarabia said employing in-house technical personnel would help ensure the timely completion of projects and demonstrate the company’s commitment to its 25-year joint venture agreement with the Iloilo City government.

“I believe we could recall that we have obligations with the city council and the city government. We have existing contractual obligations and I believe we have deadlines and I think we have brought up several times that such deadlines were missed,” he said during the City Council session on May 13.

The council discussed delays in the HS Jaro Pipe Replacement Project, which broke ground in August 2024 and is scheduled for completion in September this year.

MPIW Chief Operating Officer Angelo David Berba said the water utility currently employs around 230 personnel.

Berba explained that the pipe replacement works were outsourced to contractors because the projects are temporary.

“For us, it is much more efficient to contract it out; we can impose the obligation on a third-party, and we do not have the necessary equipment because all of these works are somewhat temporary in nature, so we bid it out to several third-party contractors,” he said.

The HS Jaro Pipe Replacement Project aims to upgrade aging water distribution pipelines in Jaro and nearby areas to reduce non-revenue water losses and improve supply reliability.

The project covers nearly 15 kilometers of pipeline replacement along Lopez Jaena Street and the Old Iloilo-Capiz Road, stretching from Ungka Terminal to Jaro Plaza and traversing Barangays Ungka, San Isidro, Benedicto, and nearby communities.

Sarabia, however, said that while he respects the company’s outsourcing strategy, hiring permanent personnel for pipe-laying works could hasten project implementation.

“If we consider the nature of the obligation to the city government, this is a continuous development, progress. There is an expectation that if you serve the city well, you are here for good, [and] if you are here for good, we could expect a permanent service, continuing development, repair, [and] maintenance,” he said.

“I can’t understand why MPIW can’t hire permanent personnel if this is a continuing partnership, if this is a lasting partnership,” he added.

Sarabia also dismissed the argument that MPIW lacks equipment for the projects, saying the company has the capital, capability, and expertise to employ permanent personnel.

He further argued that reliance on contractors could create “possible deniability of liability” if projects fail.

“If there were personnel who are permanently hired, if the project fails, we have no one else to blame. We cannot help but suspect, especially [given] the growing frustration of the Ilonggo people. Ultimately, we will be blamed if we do not deliver our promises,” he added.

Berba, however, maintained that contractors remain accountable to MPIW and that the utility still bears responsibility before the public.

“They are our agents. They are our extension. We ensure that they will deliver,” he said.

Berba added that the contractors handling the HS Jaro project are “very much competent.”

“You can see their workmanship is top-notch. They are from Manila. There is a certain premium to that, but nonetheless, we brought them to Iloilo because, admittedly, we cannot find top-notch contractors here who are well-versed in pipe-laying activities,” he said.

Berba attributed the project delays to poor workmanship by the original contractor, whose contract has since been terminated, as well as delays in the shipment of imported pipe fittings caused by global supply chain disruptions and geopolitical tensions.

He also said MPIW continues to allocate significant capital expenditures for infrastructure development projects.

For this year, MPIW is targeting around PHP 2.6 billion worth of projects, with another PHP 2 billion planned next year, excluding the proposed desalination plant intended to address Iloilo’s recurring water supply problems.

MPIW is the joint venture company of Metro Pacific Water and Metro Iloilo Water District tasked with the operation, rehabilitation, and maintenance of water distribution services in Iloilo City and seven neighboring municipalities under a PHP 12.3 billion, 25-year concession agreement.