MWSS Regulatory Office (RO) Chief Regulator Atty. Patrick Lester N. Ty attended the inauguration of the “Pag-asa sa Patubig Partnership (P3)” Water-for-the-Poor Project in Las Pinas City last 10 October 2019. The beneficiary of the said project is the informal settler community along a creek in Brgy. Talon Tres, Las Pinas City. After relying on third party vendors that sell water at exorbitant prices for decades, the community sought help from Maynilad Water Services Inc. (MWSI) to implement the P3 project in the area. MWSI partnered with MWSS RO, MWSS Corporate Office (CO), Water and Life Philippines (W&L), and Tubig Pag-asa (TPA) to provide affordable water to the indigent community of Molave Extension Riverside Neighborhood Association, Inc. (MERNAI). 

W&L is a local non-government organization (NGO) created by Eau et Vie, a French NGO, which aims to sustainably improve the living conditions of the most disadvantaged populations. Aside from providing water, W&L will implement different initiatives that will address other problems of the community such as installing fire extinguishers and hydrants to address the risk of fires, and educating residents regarding proper waste disposal and proper hand washing techniques to address the dismal sanitation conditions in the community. Tubig Pag-asa (TPA), the social enterprise arm of W&L will handle the connections and billing of the community’s bulk water supply. 

In his message of support, Chief Regulator Patrick Ty emphasized how vital water is to life—water is life and water is the right of everyone, especially those in poor communities. He commended the efforts of MWSI in ensuring that affordable water is reachable to the disadvantaged. He also pointed out that the project is in line with MWSS RO’s thrust to provide affordable water and sanitation services to consumers. As one of the agencies tasked to ensure continuous water supply to residents of Metro Manila and nearby provinces, MWSS RO is constantly looking for ways to assure that more residents will be provided with clean, adequate, potable, and affordable water. 

The inauguration of the worthwhile project was attended by officers of MERNAI Ms. Nalyn Frias and Ms. Marilyn Dolon, W&L Operations Manager Mr. Richard Atamosa and TPA Branch Manager Ms. Mary Grace Benliro, W&L and TPA Country Director Ms. Alexia Michels, and grateful residents of the beneficiary community. 

As of the inauguration, sixty (60) households have been connected to the bulk account, and have started receiving water supply; and forty-three (43) households are yet to be connected; for a total of 103 households at the end of the project. The MWSS RO acknowledges that there is still a lot of work to be done to ensure that water reaches every home, but through projects like this, and the continuous support from different stakeholders, we will succeed in providing comfort to more families. The agency hopes that this is the start of a beautiful partnership with the community.