Water for the People Network

The country’s policy makers seem oblivious to the harmful impact of the water privatization in Metro Manila, as they continue to push for legislations that will encourage the sale of water service providers nationwide.

According to the national campaign alliance Water for the People Network (WPN), the Senate Bill (SB) 2997 is leading the ongoing moves to privatize water districts and local water providers nationwide. If approved, the people’s access to water would likely worsen, similar to the effect of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) privatization in 1997.

Since the sale of MWSS, water rates in Metro Manila have increased up by 564% to more than 1,000 percent. During the same period (1997-2012), water districts around the country have increased rates by 134% for those consuming 11-20 cubic meters. These rates could increase more sharply if water districts were privatized like what SB 2997 envisions.

Junk SB 2997! Stop water privatization! Defend our jobs, fight for public service!

A POSITION PAPER ON SENATE BILL 2997 – WATER SECTOR REFORM ACT OF 2012

As public service workers in the various water districts of the country, we acknowledge and welcome the United Nations’ July 28, 2010 General Assembly Resolution declaring that safe and clean drinking water and sanitation is a human right essential to the full enjoyment of life and all other human rights. Worldwide, the picture is bleak as 884 million people are without access to water.

The said body calls on governments of the world to scale up efforts in ensuring clean, adequate and accessible water especially in poor countries. The challenge now therefore lies in putting this commitment into concrete actions.

"Every 20 seconds, a child dies from a water-related illness, which is equivalent to the rate of a jumbo jet crashing every four hours."--UNICEF

Water for the People Network and IBON-Europe will be participating at the "Sacred Visions of Water: Stopping Violence Against Children" on November 19, 2012 from 10am to 1pm in the European Parliament at Brussels. This event will be launched by Religions for Peace and the World Day of Prayer and Action for Children. The said event is an opportunity for respective communities to demonstrate how we value water and the ways by which children's rights are affected when this human right is not fully realized. The three-hour celebration will include various events on these interrelated topics and will be led by children and young people, as well as religious leaders and women.