Benise Balaoing

Residents collect water from an artesian well and eventually a fire truck in Palar Village, in between Brgy. Southside and Brgy. Pinagsama in Taguig City on May 5, 2024. Residents say that the water line was cut due to the failure of consignor Inner Port Neighborhood Association, which holds the account with Manila Water to pay their due. Residents are clamoring for authorities to intervene and provide relief amid the dry weather. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Water Interruption in Taguig Barangay

Alvin Elchico

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/176587131735120251216071224_488bb9178f054131e2924c5a64d002a8acc9befbe2e7fc6a67c922ff68bcb793.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Residents collect water from an artesian well and eventually a fire truck in Palar Village, in between Bgy. Southside and Bgy. Pinagsama in Taguig City on May 5, 2024. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>MANILA — Despite the enormous discount in water bills, only a handful of 4Ps beneficiaries and the marginalized sector have enrolled in the enhanced lifeline program.</p><p>The discount ranges from 40 to 50 percent, provided the consumption does not exceed 20 cubic meters per month.</p><p>For Maynilad, there are only 1,383 households all over their franchise area that have already enrolled in the discount program. Maynilad has over 1.5 million service connections.</p><p>For Manila Water, the number of enrollees in their enhanced lifeline program is much less at around 40 families only. Manila Water has around 1.2 million service connections.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) chief regulator Patrick Ty said it remains a challenge to encourage poor consumers to avail of the discount because they have no idea how to go about it.</p><p>&quot;Sometimes they don&#x27;t want to take time out of their busy schedule to register,&quot; said Ty, explaining that there are some documentary requirements to enroll in the program.</p><p>For Maynilad, the discount for up to 20 cubic-meters consumption is almost 50 percent while for Manila Water, the discount is more than 50 percent.</p><p>A quick check with some members of 4Ps reveals reasons why they can&#x27;t avail of the hefty discounts.</p><p>Consumer Estela Elno has been a member of 4Ps for many years, which means she is eligible, but the problem is her family shares a single meter with other relatives.</p><p>Their bill reaches more than P7,000 every month due to higher consumption.</p><p>The same is true with consumer Digna Bongar, whose brother-in-law is a member of 4Ps. They live in the same house, so there is only 1 water meter for 4 related families.</p><p>Their total monthly consumption reaches over 30 cubic meters, which disqualifies them from the program.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>ELIGIBLE, NOT ELIGIBLE</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Another 4Ps beneficiary, Kimberly Duterte, who consumes only 10 cubic meters per month, should have been enjoying the discount.</p><p>But she is just renting, and her landlord charges P61/cubic meter, which means she pays around P610 per month.</p><p>The boarding house has only one mother meter for all renters, which automatically disqualifies her from the discount program.</p><p>Her mother Lorna Duterte, who is also a 4Ps beneficiary, only consumes 7 cubic meters per month.</p><p>But while Lorna is qualified for the discount program, she cannot process the application because of a stroke, which has affected her mobility.</p><p>To improve participation, Ty said the MWSS Regulatory Office has partnered with the Social Housing Finance Corporation to help eligible households enroll for the program.</p><p>&quot;Actually, we plan on contacting [Social Welfare] Secretary [Rex] Gatchalian on how we can do tie-up because we want to really target the 4Ps beneficiaries because they are the most disadvantaged in [the] society,&quot; Ty said.</p><p>Both Maynilad and Manila Water are raising water rates in <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2025/12/15/manila-water-raises-rates-effective-january-1-1118" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">2026</a>.</p><div><strong><br/></strong></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEOS</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/z60qW6SXe-4?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iX_pZ-un_Aw?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

<p>Only a handful of 4Ps beneficiaries and the marginalized sector have enrolled in the enhanced lifeline program.</p>

Only a handful of 4Ps beneficiaries and the marginalized sector have enrolled in the enhanced lifeline program.

4Ps members, marginalized urged to avail of 'lifeline program' for water bills

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4Ps members, marginalized urged to avail of 'lifeline program' for water bills

Alvin Elchico,

ABS-CBN News

Published Dec 16, 2025 04:00 PM PHT

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MWSS

Maynilad

Manila Water

enhanced lifeline program

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