MANILA, Philippines — Consumers in Metro Manila and nearby areas will see slightly higher water bills from April to June after regulators approved tariff adjustments for the country’s two major concessionaires, Manila Water Company and Maynilad Water Services.
The increase was approved by the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System through its regulatory office as part of the Foreign Currency Differential Adjustment (FCDA) mechanism. This quarterly adjustment allows water providers to recover costs affected by fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, particularly for loans used to expand water and sewerage services.
- Manila Water customers will see a ₱0.04 per cubic meter increase.
- Maynilad customers will face a ₱0.09 per cubic meter increase.
Manila Water customers
- 10 cubic meters: about ₱0.14 increase
- 20 cubic meters: about ₱0.29 increase
- 30 cubic meters: about ₱0.58 increase
Maynilad customers
- 10 cubic meters: about ₱0.27 increase
- 20 cubic meters: about ₱1.00 increase
- 30 cubic meters: about ₱2.07 increase
Officials said households enrolled in the Enhanced Lifeline Program—which includes qualified low-income consumers such as beneficiaries of the government’s social protection programs—may be exempt from the FCDA adjustment or receive reduced rates.
The rate changes are mainly linked to foreign exchange movements, particularly the peso’s value against other currencies. Since some water infrastructure loans are denominated in foreign currency, the FCDA allows companies to adjust tariffs to reflect those cost changes.
