Starting in July, Maynilad customers will see a slight increase in water rates while Manila Water consumers will benefit from a small reduction following adjustments approved by the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System-Regulatory Office (MWSS-RO).
Chief regulator Patrick Ty announced that Maynilad will implement a ₱0.005 per cubic meter increase under the Foreign Currency Differential Adjustment (FCDA) mechanism, reflecting foreign exchange losses from its largely yen- and dollar-denominated loans. This will bring Maynilad water rates to ₱76.17/cu.m. for sewered and ₱65.62/cu.m. for unsewered consumers.
For Maynilad’s regular residential customers, this translates to monthly increases ranging from ₱0.01 to ₱0.11, depending on consumption levels. Lifeline and low-income consumers, however, are exempted from the adjustment.
Conversely, Manila Water will reduce rates due to favorable exchange movements and tax adjustments. Rates will drop by ₱0.13/cu.m. for unsewered and ₱0.12/cu.m. for sewered customers. This results in monthly bill reductions of up to ₱2.45 for regular residential consumers, with lifeline and low-income customers again shielded from any change.
The adjustments underscore the foreign exchange risks involved in water infrastructure financing, with Manila Water’s euro-heavy loan mix benefiting from a stronger peso, while Maynilad’s exposure to the weaker yen drives costlier repayments.
Maynilad serves the West Zone of Metro Manila and parts of Cavite. Manila Water covers the East Zone, including Rizal province.
