Taguig city: Metro Pacific Iloilo Water (MPIW): Metro Pacific Iloilo Water (MPIW) on Thursday assured continuous operations and status quo rates amid the increase in fuel prices due to the conflict in the Middle East. According to Philippines News Agency, MPIW chief operating officer Angelo David Berba, in a press conference, said their operations rely on fuel and power. "We would like to assure you that we will still maintain our operations. Our bulk water supply is constant at 78 million liters per day and our day-to-day activity remains constant and fluid," he said. He added that their projects are still ongoing 24/7, especially since the city government has allowed them to work 24 hours on their project in the Jaro district. Berba said MPIW will absorb the added cost as there is no impending tariff increase. "Unlike other businesses, we don't have an automatic tariff mechanism to absorb fluctuating costs, particularly on fuel and power. It undergoes very strict regulatory review," he said. He emphasize d that they can still manage if the price of diesel and gasoline per liter remains below the PHP100 rate, otherwise, they will make adjustments in operations and not in tariffs. Berba also clarified that the second tranche of the tariff increase that took effect in March is not due to the hike in fuel prices. The first tranche of the tariff adjustment took effect in November last year. With the second tranche already in effect, the price of water is now at PHP28.67 per cubic meter. "This is the tariff increase that we applied, which was approved by the water district and the regulator, Local Water Utilities Administration. After five years of operation, it was approved in November. This is totally different from the fuel increase," he said. MPIW serves over 50,000 consumers in Iloilo City and the municipalities of Maasin, Cabatuan, Pavia, Sta. Barbara, Leganes, San Miguel, and Oton.