Higher water bills loom for Manila Water, Maynilad customers starting April 2026

Customers of east and west zone concessionaires Manila Water Company Inc. and Maynilad Water Services Inc. shall brace for higher water bills for the April to June 2026 period as the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) approved the water utilities’ tariff mechanism to recover from foreign currency fluctuations.

At a virtual press briefing on Friday, MWSS-Regulator Office chief regulator Patrick Ty announced that the MWSS Board of Trustees “approved the recommendation of the MWSS-RO to implement the Foreign Currency Differential Adjustment (FCDA) for the Second Quarter of 2026, effective April 1, 2026, based on its evaluation of the FCDA proposals of water concessionaires, Manila Water and Maynilad.”

The FCDA is a quarterly-reviewed tariff mechanism that allows water concessionaires to recover losses or give back gains arising from fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, as payments are made for foreign currency-denominated loans that are used to fund the expansion and improvement of water and sewerage services.

It is a corrective mechanism formulated by the MWSS-RO to avoid under recovery or over recovery caused by foreign exchange movements.

For Manila Water, Ty said the east zone concessionaire applied for an FCDA of 0.76% or P0.39 per cubic meter of its 2026 Average Basic Charge of P50.70 per cubic meter.

This is an adjustment from Manila Water’s P0.35 per cubic meter FCDA in the first quarter, translating to a tariff increment of P0.04 per cubic meter.

The FCDA adjustment would mean an increase of P0.14, P0.29, and P0.58 per month for regular Manila Water customers consuming 10 cubic meters, 20 cubic meters, and 30 cubic meters, respectively.

For Maynilad, the MWSS approved an upward tariff adjustment of P0.09 per cubic meter for the second quarter or from P0.13 per cubic meter in the first quarter to P0.22 per cubic meter in April to June period.

The impact of Maynilad’s tariff adjustment on its regular customers would be an increment of P0.27, P1.00, and P2.07 in the water bills for those consuming 10 cubic meters, 20 cubic meters, and 30 cubic meters, respectively.

In view of these adjustments, the MWSS RO strongly urges eligible households to apply for the Enhanced Lifeline Program (ELP) of Manila Water and Maynilad,” Ty said.

“Implemented by the two Concessionaires in January 2025 under the direction and guidance of the MWSS RO, the ELP grants qualified low-income, low-consuming households—particularly beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) consuming up to 20 cubic meters per month—exemption from the FCDA and reduced water rates,” he said. 

The ELP is a targeted social protection measure designed to ensure that access to water remains affordable for low-income households. —AOL, GMA Integrated News