Rushing to move in to your new condominium unit before the project is completed may not be such a good idea.
Rosebelle Roberto, who moved to her new home a few months ago, has been trying to get an explanation for what she considers a very high water rate—not to mention the water meter’s high reading for her small family of three adults and a child—that she is being charged.
When she raised the issue with a representative of the condo developer, Roberto says she was told, “we are being charged for ‘pumping cost.’”
Roberto asks why homeowners have to pay the same rate as the developer for the ongoing project: “Shouldn’t unit owners pay only a portion of what the developer is being charged?”
Taking her concerns to Manila Water, concessionaire for the Sorrento Oasis Phase 2 in Pasig City, where she lives, Roberto was told that, due to construction activity, the project was being charged the industrial rate of P66 per cubic meter. Roberto’s water reading from the developer shows a rate of P70 per cubic meter. By this time, her bill has ballooned to P5,600—supposedly for using 84 cubic meters of water.
Manila Water advised her to write to the developer, Filinvest Corp., which she promptly did. Roberto also sent a copy of her letter to the Department of Trade and Industry’s (DTI) Bureau of Trade Regulation and Consumer Protection (BTRCP).
As I have come to expect from BTRCP, it promptly passed on the complaint to the Consumer Protection and Advocacy Bureau (CPAB), which endorsed on Nov. 7 the complaint to the proper government agency, the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS).
Why MWSS? The agency is mandated to provide “adequate, safe, reliable and affordable (underscoring mine) water and sewerage services to Metro Manila…”
MWSS also considers it its mission to “deliver affordable water tariffs that will support the long-term water security program for Metro Manila and all covered areas.”
CPAB asked MWSS to respond to Roberto’s query within a week. It has been more than a week and Roberto has yet to hear anything concrete from the government agency.
The bureau reminded MWSS about the complaint, which responded by asking for the complainant’s account number.
I forwarded Roberto’s bill to CPAB for MWSS’ guidance.
As for Filinvest, Roberto’s letter to the company’s representative, Salvador Reyes Jr., got this response from the FLI Service Desk, [email protected], addressed to a certain Hazel: “In line with our buyer’s concern, we would like to inform you that we have already endorse (sic) the e-mail to our support group for further checking and evaluation and rest assured that our representative will get back to the buyer for the update.”
While Roberto doubts her family had used 86 cubic meters in two months since practically all members are out of the house the whole day—she and her husband work and their son is in school, and they usually visit relatives on weekends—she is willing to let that pass and focus on the rate.
I e-mailed MWSS and Filinvest to ask about the status of Roberto’s complaint. Filinvest’s FLI Service Desk wrote, “We appreciate for raising this concern to us Ma’am. Kindly allow us to coordinate this to our Property Management Office (PMO) for further assistance. Rest assured Ma’am that our representative from PMO will be getting back to our client directly to address the concern.”
I was informed that Manila Water has called for a meeting between Roberto and Filinvest.
MWSS has not responded as of the time of this writing.
New mall hours
In response to the request of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), Robinsons Galleria and Robinsons Forum, both on Edsa, will be open 11 a.m.-11 p.m. until Dec. 23 to help ease traffic during the holiday season.
Other Robinsons malls will keep their regular opening hours, but closing time will be an hour later.
On Christmas and New Year, Robinsons malls will open at 12 noon. Closing time will vary.
Send letters to The Consumer, Lifestyle Section, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 1098 Chino Roces Ave. cor. Mascardo and Yague Sts., 1204 Makati City; fax 8974793/94; or e-mail [email protected]
