Some households paid for water they did not receive, prompting a city councilor to seek bill credits for consumers affected by prolonged Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) outages.
Cebu City Councilor Harold Go said Thursday, Aug. 20, that residents had complained about paying the P235.60 minimum charge despite having little or no water for weeks, particularly after Typhoon Tino in November 2025.
Go said he had earlier asked MCWD to waive the minimum charge during service interruptions.
The water district replied in March that the fee was fixed under its existing policy.
“I was not satisfied with that answer because there is a higher law. You cannot charge for services not rendered. That is unfair. Their policy is not the law,” Go said.
Go later learned from Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) Administrator Jose Moises Salonga that the agency had issued Memorandum Circular No. 009-25 on Dec. 22, 2025, providing rules for water districts during prolonged interruptions.
The circular prohibits water districts from imposing or collecting minimum charges when they fail to provide water for at least 15 days.
The rule covers continuous outages as well as intermittent interruptions that total 15 days within one month or 15 consecutive days within two months.
It also prohibits water districts from disconnecting affected consumers for nonpayment during the covered period.
Go met with MCWD Chairman Ruben Almendras and other officials and said they confirmed receiving the circular and agreed to comply with it.
MCWD will remove minimum charges from accounts covered by the 15-day rule, he said.
Go is also seeking the return of minimum charges already collected from qualified consumers.
He said MCWD may provide the relief through bill credits instead of cash refunds.
The councilor cited a January 2026 bill that recorded zero water consumption but still charged the P235.60 minimum fee.
The bill covered Dec. 16, 2025, to Jan. 15, 2026, with the meter reading remaining at 229.
The LWUA circular also requires water districts to record service interruptions, notify consumers about scheduled and unscheduled outages, and state the expected duration and reason for interruptions.
Districts must submit a report and action plan to LWUA when service remains unavailable for three consecutive days.
The Cebu City Council has passed a resolution urging MCWD to inform consumers about the guidelines through its website, social media accounts, billing statements, customer service offices, and public advisories.
MCWD said it is studying the circular to ensure its proper and consistent implementation and will inform concerned offices and the public once it finalizes the details.
Go said he would continue monitoring MCWD’s compliance and the handling of accounts that qualify for billing adjustments.
Additionally, Go is asking the city to consider a one-time waiver of penalties for traffic violations committed during the initial rollout of Oplan BanTal: Discipline Zone along the Gov. Cuenco Ave. corridor.
Go said the limited relief could help motorists who were still adjusting to the new traffic rules.
Go said the proposed waiver would apply only to qualified violations during the initial adjustment period and would not remove penalties for subsequent violations.
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