New name, old problems? Bulacan water woes continue despite PrimeWater rebrand

TAWID-UHAW. Weak water supply comes out of a Tawid-Uhaw PrimeWater station in San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan. Franz Lopez/Rappler Residents of San Jose del Monte, Bulacan cry for help amid continued water service problems despite PrimeWater's acquisition by Crystal Bridges Holding Corp. in December 2025 Hiraya Water Corp., formerly PrimeWater Infrastructure Corporation, continues to face significant water service issues, affecting over 47,000 households in San Jose del Monte City. Residents have expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of public consultation regarding the transfer of water services to a private concessionaire, leading to ongoing service interruptions and poor water quality. This is AI-generated. Read the article for full context. Report any errors. A new name did not erase PrimeWater Infrastructure Corporation’s longstanding problems. Despite its rebranding as Hiraya Water Corp., persistent water woes and unfulfilled obligations continued to hound the private concessionaire, with consumers bearing the brunt. In San Jose del Monte City, Bulacan, Senator Raffy Tulfo — chairperson of the Senate Public Services committee — said over 47,000 households remained reeling from frequent service interruptions, as well as discolored water supply even months after Lucio Co’s Crystal Bridges Holding Corp. acquired PrimeWater in late 2025. “Nung pumasok ang PrimeWater, ‘yung ganda ng serbisyo ng water district…nawala,” Irene del Rosario, resident and former San Jose del Monte city councilor, told the Senate Public Services Committee during a hearing on the joint venture agreements (JVAs) of water districts and private entities on Thursday, September 3. (When PrimeWater entered into the picture, the good services of the water district vanished.) Del Rosario recalled the water district entered into a JVA with PrimeWater in 2018 following an “unsolicited” proposal from the private concessionaire. This was allegedly approved by then newly-appointed members of the board of directors. “Walang public consultation. Hindi alam ng taumbayan na ang tubig namin ay iliipat na sa isang private concessionaire…[Ngayon], ganun pa rin, as expected,” she said. (There was no public consultation. We did not know that our water service would be transferred to a private concessionaire. Now, our situation remains the same, as expected.) Residents of San Jose del Monte have repeatedly called for intervention amid continued poor water service in the area. In March, the city government assumed control of the water service previously managed by PrimeWater. It tapped Metro Pacific Water (MPW) to take over the service as an interim operator two months later. MPW head of legal Roberto Rey Rodrigo said the company had started rehabilitating the city’s water service assets but admitted that San Jose del Monte had a deficit of about 70 million liters to fulfill its daily water requirement. “Unfortunately, to take on such a monumental task would require a long-term concessionaire,” Rodrigo added. On August 23, a crowd consisting of many local residents chanted “Tubig! Tubig! Tubig!” (Water!) in a sports event after learning that Mayor Rita Robes, and her husband, Congressman Arthur Robes, were at the venue. “Sumigaw sila ng ‘Tubig!’ Kasi wala talaga kaming tubig,” Akbayan Councilor Ronalyn Pordan previously told Rappler. (They shouted “Water!” because we really have no water.) Senator Raffy Tulfo, chairperson of the Senate panel, flagged Hiraya Water for the persistent water issues in its areas of operation. He also questioned the concessionaire over its corporate records, citing a Securities and Exchange Commission record showing it previously listed “restaurants, parlors, beer houses and snack bars” as its nature of business. “Nagbago na ang owner ng PrimeWater, pero patuloy pa rin ang reklamo,” said Tulfo. (The ownership of PrimeWater changed but the complaints over their service have not stopped.) “To be fair, Crystal Bridges did not create PrimeWater’s problems. Pero kapag bumili ka ng kumpanya, hindi lang assets at revenue ang kasama. You inherit the existing contracts, debts and obligations, pending cases, unfinished commitments and consumers na galit na, uhaw pa,” the lawmaker added. (To be fair, Crystal Bridges did not create PrimeWater’s problems but when you buy out a company, you acquire not only their assets and revenue, but also their existing contracts, debts and obligations, pending cases, unfinished commitments and consumers who are not only angry but also thirsty.) PrimeWater PrimeWater is a Villar-owned water and wastewater services provider that previously partnered with over 77 water districts in the country. Following the acquisition, Hiraya Water took over the existing JVAs. Senator Risa Hontiveros, during the legislative inquiry, said she received information that eight water districts are signifying intention to exit the JVA amid the persistent service issues. Hontiveros asked Hiraya Water whether it intended to file cases or impose penalties on water districts should they pursue the unilateral termination of their contracts. “Mayroon pong procedure set in place and signed by both parties and was cleared by regulatory bodies. Sana sundin ‘yun,” Hiraya Water president Jose Paulino Santamarina said. (There’s a procedure set in place and signed by both parties. It was also cleared by regulatory bodies. We’re hoping it will be followed.) The Public-Private Partnership (PPP) center said Hiraya Water failed to secure the consent of any of the 77 water districts during the acquisition. Sans written consent, the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel (OGCC) said the water districts can move to terminate the JVAs as they were not formally informed of the ownership change. Apart from the water districts, some private subdivisions including La Poblacion in San Jose del Monte also appealed to Hiraya Water to allow them to exit the water service agreement. “I-turnover ‘nyo na kami sa water district, ‘yun lang ang solution dun,” said La Poblacion resident Charlie Marciano. (We’re appealing for Hiraya Water to turn over our water service to the city water district. That’s the only solution to our problem.) Is anyone listening? – Rappler.com How does this make you feel? Loading