POSITION PAPER OF MULTIPLY-ED ON THE WATER CRISIS IN BULACAN
Multiply-Ed (X-Ed) vehemently urges the Provincial Government of Bulacan and relevant national regulatory agencies to take immediate action to address the ongoing water crisis. A multisectoral and multilevel civil society initiative working for reforms in education governance, we in X-Ed assert that the lack of reliable access to clean water significantly affects both the health of communities and the ability of schools to maintain safe and effective learning environments. X-Ed further maintains that access to clean and reliable water remains a fundamental requirement for a safe and effective learning environment.
Yet across many schools in the Philippines, water access continues to be inconsistent or entirely absent. This persistent national gap in basic school infrastructure has been pointed out in a 2024 report of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), which states that more than 11,000 schools in the Philippines still lack access to reliable water sources.
This concern, however, is not completely new. In fact, as early as 2016, then Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Armin Luistro had already reported that around 3,000 public schools have no access to water. This number has increased in the past 10 years, suggesting that systemic challenges in water governance, infrastructure, and accountability remain largely unresolved.
Our two previous Monitoring Reports further illustrate the scale of the problem. Based on our findings, several schools had no reliable water access during the Covid-19 pandemic period. This situation made it significantly harder for schools to comply with health and safety protocols, particularly those related to hygiene, sanitation, and disease prevention. The issue of water access was, in fact, repeatedly surfaced in our subsequent problem-solving sessions with duty-bearers and other education stakeholders, and was identified as one of the most pressing challenges faced by schools.
During our monitoring activities and problem-solving sessions, a key governance question repeatedly emerged: which institution should be held accountable for ensuring access to water in schools and communities?
These discussions reveal that responsibility for water access is often unclear, especially in contexts where private companies are involved in delivering water services. It was repeatedly emphasized that water governance in the Philippines suffers from blurred lines of accountability.
When public services are delivered through private entities, accountability mechanisms often weaken. As a result, service providers may evade responsibility when service failures occur, leaving communities and schools to bear the consequences. In many cases, responsibility between government and private sector providers remains ambiguous, creating governance gaps that further limit accountability. This situation is often worsened by the limited commitment of government institutions to effectively regulate private providers, and in some instances, private corporations appear to wield influence that surpasses that of the public institutions tasked with oversight.
Presidential Decree No. 1067, commonly known as the Water Code of the Philippines, serves as the main governing law at the national level and designates the National Water Resources Board (NWRB) as the primary agency responsible for managing the country’s water resources. In Metro Manila, regulation is handled by the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS), while at the local level, oversight involves the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) and local water districts.
In recent years, PrimeWater Infrastructure Corp. has entered into joint venture agreements (JVAs) with several water districts nationwide, including those in Bulacan, resulting in the privatized operation of water services in multiple municipalities. Following these agreements, many residents across the province began reporting problems such as low to no water supply, unsafe water, and rising water tariffs.
In June 2025, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered LWUA to investigate the water supply issues in the province after visiting schools that were experiencing insufficient water access. However, even months after the president’s directive, the problem remains unresolved. Despite the presence of multiple agencies involved in water governance, the system remains fragmented and complex. This raises an important question: which institution truly has jurisdiction to effectively monitor private water providers and hold companies such as PrimeWater accountable for their service delivery?
The ongoing water crisis has been hard for Bulacan. The City of San Jose del Monte, for example, has been placed under a state of calamity, with schools being particularly hard hit. Some schools have already installed water catchers, while certain areas rely on rationed water delivered by water trucks to help address the shortage.
While these interventions provide temporary relief, they remain short-term responses that do not address the structural causes of the water crisis. It is high enough time for those in power to finally address the water crisis in the province– the system should always favor the people’s interest.
The ongoing water crisis highlights the importance of Agenda 6 of the Multiply-Ed Reform Agenda: Strengthening Crisis-Resilience and Adaptive Governance in the Philippine Education System. Schools must be able to respond effectively to service disruptions and environmental challenges that affect learning conditions. Ensuring reliable water access is therefore part of building resilient education systems that can protect students’ health, sustain school operations, and safeguard the right to education even in times of crisis.
Multiply-Ed stands in solidarity with every learner and education stakeholder affected by this crisis. We call on national and local government leaders, regulatory agencies, and water service providers to take urgent and decisive action to resolve the ongoing water crisis.
Addressing the crisis requires stronger governance, clearly defined regulatory responsibilities, enforceable accountability mechanisms for water service providers, and sustained public investment in reliable and safe water infrastructure. Access to clean and dependable water in schools must be treated as a non-negotiable priority. No learner should be forced to study in conditions where basic water access is uncertain. Ensuring that every school has safe and reliable water is not only a matter of public health—it is a fundamental commitment to protecting the dignity, well-being, and rights of every learner.
Krisis sa tubig, tugunan!
Tubig na serbisyo, ‘wag gawing negosyo!
Akses sa tubig, karapatan ng mamamayan!
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