The Dagupan City Water District wants to increase its water rate by 45 percent but the Dagupan City officialdom is poised to say “No deal”!

Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez, the city council’s presiding officer, said she will manifest her opposition to the request because of the timing and the heavy financial burden it will impose further on the residents particularly the poorer sector in the aftermath of Typhoon “Cosme”.

Even Mayor Alipio Fernandez Jr. has expressed his opposition to the increased water rate being sought by DCWD, at this time, the vice mayor said.

The city council received a letter from the DCWD headed by Ramon Reyna, general manager, informing it that the firm will conduct a public hearing on its proposal to increase water rate by 45 percent.

The proposal of DCWD is to increase water rate by 30 percent in the first two years and another 15 percent in the succeeding two years.

She said the proposal is not only ill-timed but the 45 per cent increase in water rate over a four-year period is unwarranted particularly in the face of the runaway prices of commodities obtaining today.

In justifying the water rate increase, the DCWD argued that compared to existing water districts in the country, it charges the lowest rate and is unable to plan for the upgrading of the facilities for the benefit of its customers.

 Earlier, the city council    determined that, indeed, the city is not earning enough for its operations.

The city council, however, rejected plans of DCWD to apply for a million peso loan with the Local Water Utilities Administration -LM

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