The Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System Regulatory Office (MWSS-RO) conducted a Public Information Drive on 20 October 2015 at the Kenny Rogers Roasters Restaurant, Roxas Blvd. cor. Cuneta Ave., Pasay City. The third Public Information Drive held this year was also one of MWSS-RO’s major activities in support of the Consumer Welfare Month.
Led by MWSS-RO’s Public Information Department in coordination with the Customer Service Regulation Area (CSR) and Maynilad Water Services, Inc. (Maynilad), more than 260 participants attended from Bacoor, Cavite, Muntinlupa, Las Piñas, Parañaque, Pasay, Makati, South Manila, and Tondo. Attendees included barangay heads and representatives, home-based entrepreneurs, residential owners, and tenants in Maynilad’s Business Areas. Officials from MWSS-RO and Maynilad were also present.
Topics discussed and explained were the Basic Consumer Rights and Responsibilities as well as the three Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRRs) of the seven IRRs approved by the MWSS Board of Trustees. These were IRR No. 2013-01: Disconnection and Reconnection of Water Service Connection, IRR No. 2013-06: Additional Water Meter and Transfer of Connection Tapping Point andIRR No. 2013-02: Rate Classification and Billing Scheme of Small-Scale (Home-Based) Businesses.
In his Opening Remarks, MWSS-RO Chief Regulator Joel C. Yu thanked the participants for attending the event. He said it was timely to discuss about consumer welfare as the participants should know their rights and responsibilities as water consumers and Maynilad’s customers. He emphasized that it is not only imperative for the customers to be informed of the services being offered by the concessionaire, but also for them to be aware of their responsibilities which include conserving water especially during the time when the effects of El Niño are strongly felt.
Panel members for the Public Information Drive were MWSS-RO Department Manager Rosendo Allegre who explained the two IRRs on Disconnection and Reconnection of Water Service Connection and the Additional Water Meter and Transfer of Connection Tapping Point, MWSS-RO Department Manager Randolf Marcial who presented the Rate Classification and Billing Scheme of Small-Scale (Home-Based) Businesses, and Maynilad South District Head Normen Kahulugan as well as Maynilad Central B District Head Bernard Padilla for the Business Area presentation. MWSS-RO Senior Corporate Counsel, Atty. Crescenciano Minas, Jr. was also a panelist. The Basic Consumer Rights and Responsibilities were explained by MWSS-RO Supervising Water Utilities Regulation Officer Charlie Espallardo. Masters of ceremony were MWSS-RO Deputy Administrator of CSR Ma. Genaline Valera and Mr. Espallardo.
In the open forum, MWSS-RO and Maynilad officials made sure that all inquiries and complaints were clarified and resolved. Concerns about water services beyond the topics discussed were facilitated by the MWSS-RO and Maynilad Help Desks.
News coverage of the event reported by Jervis Manahan of PTV 4 was posted on MWSS-RO website and YouTube at http://youtube.com/watch?v=jHYF8iS1K_Q and http://youtu.be/fv8o8RTgGW4