For almost nine years, the water service in Sorsogon City has been under PrimeWater Infrastructure Corporation, and for nine years, Sorsogonons have suffered from murky, trickling to almost no water, alongside the company’s exorbitant charges. PrimeWater is owned by the big bourgeois comprador Villar family.

On September 15, 2023, the Sorsogon City Water District Board (SCWD) issued a Notice of Intention to Pre-terminate its Joint Venture Agreement (JVA) with PrimeWater.

The agency’s Board of Directors released the notice because PrimeWater failed to fulfill its service obligations. Despite this, the JVA between SCWD and PrimeWater continues. No explanation was given for the company’s continuing operations. The quality of PrimeWater’s service also did not improve after being sent the notice.

Some city residents now rely on hand pumps and wells for cooking water because of PrimeWater’s incompetence. They say these sources provide safer water than the company does.

“I already had our PrimeWater service disconnected, we spend almost ₱10 a day for our drinking water, instead of saving money. Their water is really disgusting, like it has moss,” city resident Lola Violeta said.

PrimeWater Sorsogon City also disabled its Facebook page’s comment section to evade the flood of complaints from those who rely on its services. People write their anger on its page, especially during episodes of “SCWD Tubig,” featuring PrimeWater’s updates, tips to conserve water, and more.

“We have no water every day here in Cabid-An, Sorsogon City, but you still charge us monthly, this is unbearable. We keep going back to your office, with you always promising to take action, but nothing has changed until now,” Ivy commented in an episode of SCWD Tubig.

Almost every three days, PrimeWater issues a service interruption notice for various repetitive pretexts—water line repairs, power outages, pumping station repair, very low water pressure, and others.

Residents said the water pressure is not just weak, there is actually no water.

“Water pressure has been low since April until now, and that’s the only reason you give?” Dan, another person relying on the service, asked.

“Every day there’s no water, not just in Bacon, but here in Pampang as well. Your service is useless, what’s the point of your daily advisories?” Lea from Barangay Pampang said in anger.

PrimeWater’s rottenness and the local agency’s incompetence were exposed again when Sorsogon City mayor Esther Hamor spoke in an interview with Brigada Sorsogon on June 7.

“I just thought, now that Camille is a new senator, perhaps I can woo her to help us,” Hamor said. She said being friends with the Villars assures her of their help.

The mayor’s statement was met with anger.

“The mayor’s persuasion should not matter. PrimeWater is responsible for fixing their service because consumers pay properly. We don’t like free iced tea or even 3-in-1 coffee flowing from the tap. Good if that doesn’t make the meter run,” resident Joe Mari said on the Brigada Facebook page.

“Sorsogon Water District should just take over as service hasn’t changed, it’s even getting worse. We toil over the money we pay, only to further enrich the Villars,” Majalla from Barangay San Juan Roro said.

SCWD is one of 80 local water districts having a JVA with PrimeWater. Like in Sorsogon, the company faces numerous complaints in various provinces across the Philippines because of its poor service.

Through the collective action of the people and organizations advocating for the right to water service, local water districts have been pushed to end their JVA with PrimeWater, such as in San Jose Del Monte, Calumpit, Malolos, and Marilao (Bulacan); Trece Martires, Silang, and Tagaytay (Cavite); Lucena (Quezon); Subic (Zambales); San Fernando, Angeles, and Mabalacat (Pampanga); Daet, Mercedes, and Basud (Camarines Norte); Bacolod (Negros Occidental); Bohol, Leyte, and Bukidnon. The Metro San Fernando Water District of La Union ended its JVA with PrimeWater and immediately resumed managing the water service, but this was blocked by a Regional Trial Court’s Temporary Restraining Order after PrimeWater’s appeal.

The Water for the People Network is calling for the termination of all agreements with PrimeWater, and for government agencies—including the Local Water Utilities Administration, Congress, and the Senate—to investigate its violations and hold it accountable.