MIWD TO MIW: Water district eyes to complete transition in June or July

METRO Iloilo Water District is now in the process of completing the transition of key operations to the joint venture (JV) corporation it formed with the Pangilinan-led Metro Pacific Water (MPW).  

MIWD OIC-manager and finance department head Amarylis Josephine Castro said the transition includes the transfers of the more or less 40,000 concessionaire contracts and workers to Metro Pacific Iloilo Water Inc. (MIW).

The water district will also transfer the administrative, distribution, and septage operations to MIW.

MIW is the JV Corporation between MIWD and MPW that is set to take over the water distribution system in Iloilo City and seven neighboring municipalities starting first week of June 2019.

MPW is a wholly owned subsidiary of Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) headed by businessman Manuel V. Pangilinan.

MIWD and MPW entered into a P12-billion JV partnership in a bid to improve water distribution and septage services in Iloilo City and the towns of the wholly-owned subsidiary of Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC)

The transition will affect 196 regular and casual workers of MIWD.

“Those who will resign will be given the appropriate compensation package based on the number of years of service on top of financial assistance. For those who will move to MIW, they will be given preferential treatment in job placements without diminution or reduction of their salaries regardless of their position in MIWD,” Castro said.

Castro said those who want to stay with MIW will have to resign before the new management commences which could either be in June or July 2019.

But MIWD employees who will be absorbed by MIW have six months to prove their worth under the new management.

“There are key performance indicators that they have to satisfy so that they will have security in their new jobs. They will have to prove their worth in the JV corporation,” Castro added.

As to the transfer of concession contracts, Castro said they have reached the 50 percent requirement stipulated in the JV agreement.

What becomes of MIWD now?

Castro said the MIWD, along with its board of directors, will become the regulator and monitor of MIW.

“We will monitor the performance of the private partner to ensure the attainment of the service level obligations,” she said.

During the first five years of the 25-year joint venture, the private partner shall ensure that:

• water is available 24/7;
• faster turnaround time for complaints;
• improved level in service efficiency;
• utilize advanced technology when it comes to water system operation and supervision; and
• improvement in water lines and reduction of non-revenue water (NRW) from 50 to 35 percent.