Maynilad’s overcharge defies common sense

I read Bienvenido Atienza’s plaint about Maynilad’s service (“Common sense, please,” Inquirer, 3/2/12). I too have experienced the problem complained of. And I thought that if it has become a “trend,” Maynilad owes it to affected consumers to immediately attend to such complaints.

In December 2011, we were flabbergasted to see our water bill—a whopping P64,593.75 for the consumption of approximately 1,005 cubic meters of water, enough to supply and operate a mini-dam or even inundate our subdivision! The P64,593.75 was carried over to the following month’s bill which jumped to P73,805.59. Maynilad representatives acknowledged that the P9,106.84 that was added to the P64,593.75 was due to an error in meter-reading and they assured us that it will be corrected.

More than a year later, Maynilad still insists that we pay the P64,593.75. My wife and I are the only ones living in a small house. One of our daughters would often visit us, thus our monthly bill ranges from P100 to P150. How could we have consumed 1,005 cubic meters of water worth P64,593.75 in just one month? Just this month, Maynilad disconnected our water supply. This is not right!

Just like Atienza in his article, I would like to make this appeal to Maynilad: Have some common sense please, and act soonest and sanest on our complaint. In this connection, we also would like to call the attention of Maynilad’s chair, Manuel V. Pangilinan, to our plight.

We already spoke to the head of Maynilad in our area, but still no action has been taken on our complaint. Consumers shouldn’t let Maynilad push them over and burden them with unjustified, mind-boggling charges. I demand that Maynilad address this matter now—nay, yesterday.

—FERNANDO S. MENINA,

865 Franville II Subd., Area A,

Camarin, Caloocan City