00:00Residents of San Juan del Monte have endured a water supply crisis for nearly four years.
00:05A dilemma that begs immediate intervention with residents needing to buy water at 80 pesos a drum
00:11and the number of adversely affected barangays have reached 46 and counting.
00:16Then again, Prime Water, the water utility and service provider,
00:20has done little to respond to initiate fixes, let alone answer calls.
00:24As our Gab Humilde narrates.
00:29In 2006, Freddy lived in Barangay Santo Cristo in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan.
00:34The water service was good then.
00:36In 2022, their ordeal began due to the lack of water.
00:39They experienced up to three weeks without water.
00:42Because of this, many of his neighbors are also getting sick.
00:45They are now developing their own strategies to make sure their stored water is sufficient.
00:51Very, very economized na lang. Tipirin mo na lang.
00:55Dahil kumisa magsosupply yung truck and then after four days o after ano naman.
00:59So, ultimo nga yung ano, re-recycle na lang kumisaan eh.
01:04Panghugas ng plato, nire-recycle na lang.
01:06Pangbuhos na siya, mariligo ka, sahurin mo sa planggana.
01:09Yun na pagsahurin, yun na ibubuhos mo sa?
01:12Nidoro.
01:13Dahil pumapasok yung mga bata, hindi ma pwedeng hindi sila maligo.
01:16So, gumamit ka na siya, hindi ma pwedeng hindi mo i-plast o ibuhusan.
01:22According to the homeowner's official, Sunny, their neighborhood only has water supply for two hours.
01:28So, they are relying on the water tanker to deliver water at the price of 80 pesos per drum.
01:34Ulti nyo hangin, binabayaran po namin.
01:37Hangin na lumalabas sa gripo namin, pero binabayaran namin.
01:40Mula po nung pumasok si Prime Water, hanggang sa ngayon, ang aming tanke ng tubig ay hindi nalilinis.
01:50Dati po, nung nasa water district yan, every year, pinaplasing po yung aming tanke.
01:56Tapos, every three months, nagkakaroon po ng strategic na andito para kuha ng water sample ng tubig.
02:03Ngayon po, wala na po nangyaring ganun eh.
02:05Freddy and Sunny are among the more than 40,000 residents of San Jose del Monte, Bulacan,
02:10who are now experiencing water supply problems.
02:13Freddy and Sunny wrote to Prime Water and the Local Water Utilities Administration or LUWA
02:18to find a solution to their water problem.
02:20They are calling on Prime Water as well as the local government to do something about it.
02:25Pero sana, nawa, eh, dagdagan pa nila yung effort lang yan para matapos na itong problema na ito.
02:32Kaya sana po, nananawagan kami, ayan ito ang aking mga kapitbahay na daratingan na,
02:39eh, sana po, pag-igihin at ayusin yung servisyo ng tubig kasi po, hindi kami nagkukulang sa pagbabayad.
02:48The LGU has previously declared a state of calamity as the number of affected barangays has already reached 46.
02:55Up to 13 trucks loaded with water are moved to ration the affected residents.
02:59The LGU also plans to buy six additional trucks to assist in the delivery of water.
03:05Prime Water, the private water utility company, allegedly does not respond every time to the city council
03:11when the area is experiencing water supply problems.
03:15Every single time na may problema sa tubig, ipinapatawag ang Prime Water.
03:18Pero hindi naman sila, eh, hindi sila nakakausip na maayos or dumating man sila,
03:23hindi naman nakahakuha ng, kumbaga, positive response.
03:26Hindi nag-i-yield ang positive response yung mga patawag sa kanila.
03:29Pero ang water district naman, mayroon naman tayong communication sa water district.
03:35And yun nga, if ever, we are looking into, possible yun nga,
03:39kumbaga, mas magkaroon tayo ng karapatang mag-intervene
03:43sa pag-facilitate ng pagdadala ng tubig sa mga household.
03:47According to Councillor Ina Capa, the LGU will no longer renew Prime Water's business permit
03:52due to the inconvenience it has caused to residents.
03:55Although the LGU is currently implementing a temporary solution to address the water crisis,
04:00they also have a long-term solution in place to address the water problem in the city.
04:05We are really looking into finding someone na makakapag-provide talaga sa tunay na pangangailangan ng samasenyo
04:14kasi malaking investment ang kailangan para ma-i-address yung mga problema na meron kami ngayon.
04:20Kasi may tubig kami, ang problema yung facilities,
04:23ang problema yung mga malalaking kailangan po andong gastos in
04:27para maipaayos yung facilities, para siguraduhin na makakarating sa bawat bahay yung tubig.
04:32According to the Councillor, the LGU expects that the repair to the facilities of San Jose Water District
04:38will reach up to 5 billion pesos if they cannot find a private concessionaire
04:43who can operate the city's water system.
04:46It is possible that up to 90,000 households in the city will be affected by the water crisis
04:51if it is not addressed within the next 2 to 3 years.
04:54PTV News also tried to get Prime Water and Lua side but they have not yet issued a statement on
05:00the matter.
05:01The LDRRMC is scheduled to conduct another meeting to discuss the implications and actions to be taken by the local
05:08government.
05:09Hinihimok ko sila na makipagtulungan at makipag-cooperate
05:12kasi ito naman eh hindi na ito negosyo eh.
05:15Hindi ito negosyo, hindi ito.
05:16Ang problem, ang concern dito ay buhay na ng mga taong bayad.
05:21Ito ay malawakang krisis na sana kung ano man yung mga nagiging problema
05:26ay mapagtulungan kung magkakaroon tayo ng proper coordination at makapag-usap ng maayos.
05:31Gab Humilde Villegas from the National TV Network for New and Better Philippines.
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