The Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) has confirmed it continues to implement its Water Safety Plan (WSP) despite the expiration of its Department of Health (DOH) certification three years ago.
Certificate Lapse Versus Ongoing Safety Measures
In a statement released on Wednesday, November 19, 2025, MCWD officials clarified that while their Certificate of Water Safety Plan Acceptance from the DOH expired in 2022, the actual safety plan remains actively enforced. MCWD General Manager Edgar Donoso emphasized that "What lapsed was the DOH certificate acknowledging the plan, not the plan itself."
The water district's response comes following a Commission on Audit report that revealed MCWD has been operating without valid certification since late 2022. According to the audit findings, the water district's last DOH-approved WSP was issued in 2019 and officially lapsed three years later.
Progress on Updated Water Safety Plan
MCWD has made significant progress toward recertification, with the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) endorsing their updated Water Safety Plan to the DOH for final evaluation. The revised plan, submitted to LWUA in February 2025, achieved an impressive 89.42 percent overall acceptance rating during preliminary assessment.
The water district explained that the certification delay resulted from several unforeseen circumstances, including the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions, rehabilitation works after typhoon Odette, and operational disruptions related to legal tensions concerning the MCWD board of directors and senior officers.
Commitment to Water Quality Standards
Despite the certification gap, MCWD assures the public that their operations consistently meet safety requirements. The water district maintains compliance with the Philippine National Standards for Drinking Water and operates an internationally accredited Water Quality Laboratory under PNS ISO/IEC 17025:2017.
"This accreditation ensures that all testing processes consistently produce accurate and reliable results, further reinforcing the district's commitment to public health and water safety," MCWD stated in their public announcement.
The Water Safety Plan represents a proactive, risk-based system designed to ensure drinking water safety from source to tap. According to DOH guidelines, the WSP aims to prevent contamination, protect public health, and maintain reliable water supply by managing risks from infrastructure failures, disasters, or environmental hazards.
MCWD currently serves more than 214,000 active connections across Cebu City, Mandaue City, Lapu-Lapu City, Talisay City, and the municipalities of Consolacion, Liloan, Compostela and Cordova.
