In June 2021, SunStar reported that the water utility MCWD (Metropolitan Cebu Water District) would not raise its rates until customers noticed a clearly better supply. The utility had signed agreements with FDC Utilities, a Filinvest Development Corp. subsidiary, and with Vivant Corp. and an Israeli partner for two separate desalination plants. Planning manager John Neville Macabenta expected an increase in 2024 at the earliest, phased in and capped at 40 percent above the then rate of 152 pesos per 10 m³.
The report showed how a utility planned to cushion the higher cost of desalinated water by blending it with surface water and phasing in any tariff change.
Source: SunStar