Six years into managing Iloilo City’s water distribution, Metro Pacific Iloilo Water (MPIW) has repaired just 27 kilometers (kms) of what it now admits to be 200 kms of leaky, aging pipelines—despite early warning signs flagged during its own due diligence process.
MPIW chief Operating Officer Angelo David Berba told IMT NEWS that the full extent of the damage became apparent only after the 2019 joint venture with the Metro Iloilo Water District (MIWD) was signed.
However, when pressed, Berba conceded—without explicitly admitting—that the deteriorated condition of the underground pipes was already apparent during due diligence, which notably took place after the agreement was finalized.
“Nung pagpasok natin, dun natin nalaman na kailangan pa lang palitan ang 200 [kms] na damage sa pipelines or more,” Berba said, noting that MPIW initially relied on MIWD’s data, which failed to reflect the true scale of the problem.
The majority of the faulty pipelines lie underground, making leaks difficult to detect and slowing repairs. To date, MPIW has completed work on only 27 kms and targets completion of the remaining 173 kms by 2027.
Despite its P16-billion capital expenditure program, MPIW has allocated just P900 million for water distribution upgrades since 2019—raising questions about investment priorities amid worsening water shortages across the city.
While MPIW argues that MIWD lacked the financial and technical capability to modernize the system—thus justifying the joint venture—residents now face continued disruptions. IMT
