Mamamayang Liberal (ML) Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima has filed a measure seeking to review existing and future water services and their corresponding joint service agreements (JVAs).

De Lima filed House Bill (HB) No. 2906, which mirrored a measure that Senator Risa Hontiveros filed at the Senate in the current 20th Congress.

"This bill seeks to address the systematic failures that have ultimately left the government and the people vulnerable to disadvantageous contracts in the water sector and helpless in effectively and efficiently seeking remedies, such as the imposition of penalties for the private parties or termination of JVAs," De Lima's explanatory note read.

The measure, titled "The 2025 Water Crisis Act", mandates the establishment of a unified JVA oversight and legal team that would review within one year from the passing of the measure existing JVAs between local water districts and private water service providers.

"This review shall specifically identify provisions that are onerous, disadvantageous to the government or the consuming public, or have led to persistent service failures and non-compliance with contractual obligations," it stated.

According to the bill, the JVA may be revised or terminated if:

• There is a material breach of contract, such as persistent failure to meet the set standards

• The contract contains provisions that are disadvantageous to the government or public interest

• The private concessionaire fas failed to provide sufficient funds for service improvement

• The contract was or is entered into without proper competitive bidding, and

• The contract's terms have become difficult due to unforeseen supervening developments that justify judicial readjustment or termination

All new and even existing JVAs for water supply shall also be made publicly accessible through websites of relevant agencies, according to the bill.