Thousands of households in Cebu are effectively paying a “hidden water tax” as unreliable piped supply forces them to buy water from delivery trucks and refilling stations at far higher prices, an advocacy group said on Monday.
Cebu Energy Rights Advocates (CERA) said some families are paying as much as 400 pesos per cubic meter for trucked water, or more than 10 times the standard rate for piped supply.
Water bought from refilling stations can cost as much as 1,000 pesos per cubic meter, it added.
The group said limited or inconsistent service from the Metro Cebu Water District (MCWD) in several areas has pushed residents and small businesses to depend on more expensive alternative sources just to meet daily needs.
“When water does not reach the tap, families are forced to buy it elsewhere, and they end up paying much more,” CERA convenor Nathaniel Chua said in a statement. “Instead of a predictable, regulated monthly bill, residents are forced to juggle a chaotic mix of water trucks and refilling stations just to get through the week.”
CERA said the burden falls most heavily on lower-income households, many of which cannot afford large storage tanks or private wells and are forced to buy water in smaller amounts on a daily basis, often at higher per-unit costs.
The group said the issue is worsening inequality in urban communities and should not be viewed simply as a pricing issue, but as a broader supply failure.
“This is not just a logistical problem. It is a driver of urban poverty,” CERA said. “The most affordable water is reliable tap water. When the system fails, the market price for survival becomes a luxury.”
CERA called for greater transparency and faster infrastructure development to address Metro Cebu’s worsening water shortage.
It also urged MCWD to accelerate projects aimed at expanding supply, warning that the region’s continued dependence on groundwater is no longer sustainable.
The group said access to water should be treated as a public necessity rather than a costly commodity.
Cebu Business News
