Water rates in Metro Manila will go down starting October 1, as the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) approved a downward adjustment for Maynilad Water Services and Manila Water in the 4th quarter of 2020.

The MWSS Regulatory Office on Tuesday, September 15, said that its recommendation to implement the foreign currency differential adjustment (FCDA) was approved by its board of trustees.

Manila Water was allowed to lower rates by P0.15 per cubic meter for the 4th quarter. (READ: You can now text Maynilad, Manila Water for bills)

For Manila Water customers consuming 10 cubic meters or less, a rollback of P0.78 will be implemented in the monthly billing.

For consumers using up 20 cubic meters per month, charges will be lower by P1.73.

It will be a P3.52 downward adjustment for households consuming 30 cubic meters per month.

Manila Water provides water to the East Zone, which includes the cities of Makati, Mandaluyong, Pasig, San Juan, Taguig, Manila, and parts of Quezon City as well as the municipality of Pateros. It also services parts of Rizal.

Maynilad, meanwhile, was allowed to lower rates by P0.99 per cubic meter for the 4th quarter.

For Maynilad customers consuming 10 cubic meters or less, rates will go down by P0.06. For those consuming 20 and 30 cubic meters per month, bills will be lowered by P0.24 and P0.50, respectively.

Maynilad covers the West Zone, particularly the cities of Caloocan, Pasay, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Valenzuela, Muntinlupa, Navotas, Malabon, and Makati, as well as parts of Quezon City.

The FCDA is a quarterly-reviewed tariff mechanism that allows concessionaires to recover losses or give back gains due to fluctuations in foreign exchange rates.

The Philippine peso has strengthened against the dollar and yen amid the global economy weakening due to the coronavirus pandemic. – Rappler.com