San Jose del Monte residents chant ‘Tubig! Tubig!’ as water woes persist

• Residents of San Jose del Monte, Bulacan, chanted for water during a basketball event, highlighting ongoing water supply issues exacerbated by the local utility company, PrimeWater.
• Mayor Rida Robes confronted opposition council member Ronalyn Pordan during the event, accusing her of inciting the crowd's chant, while Pordan claimed the chant reflected genuine frustration over the water shortage.
• The city government has taken control of the local water district and appointed Metro Pacific Water as an interim operator to address the water supply problems, which have persisted for nearly a decade.

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Tubig! Tubig! Tubig! (Water! Water! Water!)

That was the chant on Sunday, August 23, of the crowd consisting of many local residents who have been struggling with poor water supply. They took advantage of the halftime break during the inter-barangay basketball finals at the Minuyan Sports Complex in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan.

The crowd began chanting after learning that San Jose del Monte City Mayor Rida Robes and her husband, Congressman Arthur Robes, were at the venue.

The basketball league, dubbed the Ate Rida Cup 2026, featured a finals showdown between Muzon South and Minuyan Proper, two of the city’s largest barangays.

When Mayor Robes entered the venue, the chant went louder: “Tubig! Tubig! Tubig!” (Water! Water! Water!)

A city ordinance had granted Mayor Robes the authority to take control of the local water district last March, following persistent water problems with water utility company PrimeWater. The city government later appointed Metro Pacific Water as its interim water utility operator.

On Sunday, while Congressman Robes delivered a speech, Mayor Robes confronted the lone opposition in the city council, Ronalyn Pordan, for supposedly instigating the crowd to chant.

Pordan, at the time, was watching the game on the sidelines to support Barangay Minuyan, a village that is part of her district.

In an interview with Rappler on Tuesday, August 25, Pordan said she did not encourage the crowd to chant.

“Sumigaw sila ng ‘Tubig!’ kasi wala talaga kaming tubig,” Pordan said. (They shouted “Water!” because we really have no water.)

She shared that the residents of Barangay Minuyan were among those badly affected by the poor water supply.

After confronting Pordan, Mayor Robes then grabbed the microphone, went to the center of the court, and addressed the crowd.

“Kung sino man ang nag-uudyok sa inyo na walanghiyain ang isang punong lungsod at kongresista, aba, mahiya naman kayo,” Mayor Robes said. (Whoever is egging you to disrespect the city mayor and a congressman, shame on you.)

Mayor Robes said that she really loves her people. Instead of addressing the water supply problem, Robes boasted about the city’s infrastructure projects in Barangay Minuyan Proper, Pordan said.

“Hindi ba pagmamahal na meron kayong sports complex? Hindi ba pagmamahal na meron kayong aquatic center? Hindi ba pagmamahal na meron kayong city college? Hindi ba pagmamahal [na] madami kaming ginawa sa barangay ninyo, Minuyan Proper?” Mayor Robes said.

(Isn’t it an act of love that you have a sports complex? Isn’t it an act of love that you have an aquatic center? Isn’t it an act of love that you have a city college? Isn’t it an act of love that we have done so much for your barangay, Minuyan Proper?)

Mayor Robes said the basketball league, named after her and which she sponsored, “is for all” and “not meant to disrespect the very sponsor” of the Basketball Cup.

In a statement released on Monday, August 24, the San Jose del Monte City Youth and Sports Development Office said any form of disrespect, disruption, or improper behavior had no place in programs organized by the city.

“We are not belittling or disregarding the concerns of our fellow San Joseños over the ongoing water problem. Everyone has the right to voice their concerns and call for action. The entire city government stands with you in pushing for a solution to this issue,” the city government said.

Meanwhile, Akbayan Party, which Pordan is part of, condemned the alleged harassment and intimidation by Mayor Robes.

“We demand that Mayor Robes explain her conduct and issue an apology. Public office demands respect, restraint, and accountability, not a license to intimidate, silence, or evade responsibility. Akbayan also urges the citizens of San Jose del Monte, Bulacan, to continue speaking up and expressing their grievances, even when their criticisms are uncomfortable for those in power,” Akbayan said.

Some city officials had asked the audience taking videos to surrender their mobile phones and forced them to delete videos of the incident, some witnesses told Rappler. Many complied, but others sitting in the upper bleachers managed to keep videos of the incident.

Rappler also reached out to Mayor Robes’ camp for more details on the issue but was told she was not available for an interview. Her office, instead, redirected us to the statement posted by the San Jose del Monte City Youth and Sports Development Office.

Poor water supply

Poor water supply has long been a problem for residents of San Jose del Monte since PrimeWater, a Villar conglomerate, took over the city’s water services.

Previous Rappler reports had extensively covered the city’s persistent water woes, such as an April 2025 report that showed how San Jose del Monte’s residents had been suffering from — and fighting against — PrimeWater’s bad service for nearly a decade now. 

When Camille Villar campaigned for a Senate seat in 2025 in San Jose del Monte, residents responded with the same chant — “Tubig! Tubig!” (Water! Water!) — when she asked what Filipino families wished for.

City Ordinance No. 2026-03-012, issued last March, gave the city government authority over the facilities and assets of the local water district and PrimeWater related to water supply and wastewater systems. This takeover will last one year, in line with the limits of the local government unit’s (LGU) emergency powers.

The ordinance also allowed the city government to appoint an interim water utility operator that will be the LGU’s partner in building priority infrastructure that PrimeWater did not undertake.

Following this, last June, the San Jose del Monte City government tapped Metro Pacific Water — a subsidiary of tycoon Manny Pangilinan’s Metro Pacific Investments Corporation — as its interim operator.

In a statement released on July 31, the city’s water district attributed the supply shortage to El Niño, increased manganese and turbidity levels in Angat Dam, and numerous leaks in water lines that were not fixed by PrimeWater.

‘Inherited’ woes

Metro Pacific said in a statement sent to Rappler on Tuesday that it recognized residents’ concerns over the limited water supply. The company said it was working on emergency interventions and long-term infrastructure projects to stabilize and strengthen the city’s water system.

In its statement, Metro Pacific also recognized the “aging and deteriorated water system inherited from the previous operator and insufficient alternative water sources.”

By December 2026, Metro Pacific said it aims to launch Phase I of the 3.4-kilometer Tanawin Reservoir-to-Igay Reservoir Transmission Project, which it said will benefit around 15,000 households.

Rappler also reached out to the San Jose del Monte City Water District for comment on the poor water supply in the city, but it has yet to respond as of this writing. – with reports from Shay Du/Rappler.com