THE Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) told the City Council yesterday that public consultation on its planned 12-percent water rate hike is no longer necessary as they already conducted it in 2005.
Cebu City Councilor Gerardo Carillo, author of the resolution calling for a public hearing, said that the water hike, if imposed, should not come as a surprise to water consumers.
Condition
The water district is set to implement a 12-percent rate increase in their water rates by July as a condition for the start of the bulk water supply contract tapping the Carmen river. The last rate increase was carried out in 2006.
Carillo said that the MCWD should hold a public hearing “so Cebuanos will know what the increase is about and how this will be imposed.”
Carillo made his appeal to MCWD general manager Armando Paredes who appeared before the council to speak of their plan to operate septage treatment plants in Cebu City and the municipalities of Cordova and Liloan.