Bulacan Vice Governor Alex Castro has appealed to the national government to intervene in the province’s perennial water problem, saying residents in several areas continue to face a shortage of clean and potable water even as flooding leaves roads inundated.
Castro said eight municipalities and cities in Bulacan are affected by water supply problems as he described the situation as ironic: residents have plenty of water outside their homes during heavy rains but little or none coming from their faucets.
“Ang ironic, pag umulan maraming tubig sa kalsada, pero sa loob ng bahay walang tubig,” Castro said in an interview on Bilyonaryo News Channel’s At The Forefront with Atty. Karen Jimeno.
“Walang panghugas ng pinggan, walang pangligo,” he added and claimed that the lack of reliable water supply has persisted for years.
Castro said he has repeatedly called for national government intervention by recalling that the problem had already been raised when PrimeWater entered Bulacan while he was still a councilor and later a board member.
He said the water provider had been called to several meetings but repeatedly made commitments that, according to him, were not fulfilled.
“Nangangako lang sila, nangangako pero wala namang natutupad,” Castro said.
He said residents now call the company “crime water” instead of PrimeWater.
Asked about reports that PrimeWater has a new owner and whether the change could bring improvements, Castro said residents have yet to see any significant change.
“Ngayon, wala pa kaming nakikitang improvement,” he said.
Castro said some residents who do receive water from their taps still complain about its quality.
“Kung magkaroon man ng tubig sa bahay, madumi,” he said.
He stressed that access to safe and adequate water is a basic necessity that should not be difficult for residents to obtain.
“Kaya I’m begging the national government, pakialaman natin ito. Tutukan din natin ang problema sa tubig sa Bulacan under the PrimeWater,” Castro said.
PrimeWater was formerly owned by the Villar Group but was later sold to Puregold owner Lucio Co.#