Too bitter a pill for Dagupeños to swallow at this time.

This was the reaction of the city council to the proposal of the Dagupan City Water District to increase water rate by as much as 45 percent over a period of four years.

The council, on motion of Councilor Michael Fernandez, passed a resolution asking DCWD instead to defer its proposed water rate increase considering the extent of damage suffered by the city folk in the aftermath of  typhoon Cosme that hit Dagupan last May 17.

The DCWD proposes to effect a 30% rate increase spread over the first two years and another 15% increase in the succeeding two years. The resolution was approved without prejudice to the outcome of the committee hearing by the city council’s committee on infrastructure and utilities headed by Councilor Karlos Liberato Reyna III, son of DCWD General Manager Ramon Reyna.

The committee hearing was suggested by City Legal Officer George Mejia, the result of which whether favorable or not – will be presented to the DCWD regardless of the outcome of the latter’s own public hearing on the planned water rate increase.

The DCWD had sent a letter to the city council informing the latter that it intends to conduct a public hearing soon on the proposed water rate increase.

Fernandez said the water rate increase poses another heavy burden on DCWD’s subscribers in the city many of whom lost their homes and livelihood as a result of the typhoon.

The City Disaster Coordinating Center (CDCC) headed by Mayor Alipio Fernandez Jr. reported 24,973 families or 106,527 persons affected by the typhoon in Dagupan.

Some 3,349 houses were reported as totally damaged and another 15,034 houses partially damaged.

The mayor and Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez earlier shared the same view that the water rate increase proposed by DCWD be deferred on account of the recent calamity.

Councilor Fernandez said the DCWD is asking for a water rate increase mainly because it is among the water districts in the entire country that charges the lowest.

The City Council further asked DCWD to specify programs and projects it intends to implement to justify its increased water rate.

DCWD earlier sought but failed to secure an endorsement from the city council to apply for a multi-million peso loan with the Local Water Utilities (LWUA) to finance its systems expansion. —LM

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