Metro Manila’s densely packed East Zone was a farrago of problems in the mid-’90s. Only a quarter of its 6 million homes had reliable access to round-the-clock potable tap water, and just 3% had access to a sewer system; disease and the illegal trading of bottled water were rampant. Such was the gravity of the issue that the Water Crisis Act was drafted in 1995, transferring the responsibility of access to water from the government to Ayala’s Manila Water Co. Many now see the latter as the savior of a city: In the 18 years since its entry in 1997, the utility has provided a 24-hour supply to 99% of residents and replaced almost all the local pipes. Its Tubig Para Sa Barangay (“Water for the Poor”) program makes sure the area’s 1.8 million low-income households can afford clean and potable water.
