• THERESA MAE DULMAN
Following confirmation that water service provider PrimeWater has been sold, Sangguniang Panlungsod members in Bacolod City are setting expectations, demanding improved service from the new owner.
Local reports said that Bacolod Lone District Representative Alfredo Abelardo Benitez confirmed the transaction yesterday, announcing that PrimeWater has been acquired by a new owner.
Councilor Jude Thaddeus Sayson, committee chair on Appropriations and Finance, stated that, based on his understanding, the takeover is not just in Bacolod City but nationwide.
“If ever there is a new water provider, I expect a much better service than what PrimeWater has provided in the past years,” Sayson said.
Meanwhile, Councilor Homer Bais, committee chair on Environment and Ecology, said that based on the reaction of residents, they only want a better service and they do not care who the new owner is.
“The important thing is that the water is clean and open 24/7. If the new owner delivered a better service, then I would go in this kind of operation as long as they can answer the demand of the residents,” Bais said.
In addition, Celia Matea Flor, committee chair on Women, Gender, Family, and Childcare, is also expecting excellent service from the new owner.
“I am personally a victim of PrimeWater, with no water service for the past five years,” Flor said, noting that she resorted to relying on a deep well.
PrimeWater Infrastructure Corporation is owned by the Villar family and currently operates the water system of the city through a joint venture agreement with the Bacolod City Water District.*
