Aber P. Canlas This is Me

 Web References

1. 1. 01Aug02-Ping to be a columnist?

   www.manilamail.com/archive/aug - [Cached]

   Published on: 3/21/2002   Last Visited: 11/30/2002

   APC has always meant Aber P. Canlas to us. He was the tireless public works minister in a previous regime who now looks more tired than retired whenever we see him at his favorite table at Annabels on QC's Morato St.
   
   We went to ask him one morning about this APC firm. We found him drinking -- water. We surmised he was sipping table water not because he had fallen finally into bad times, but because it was still too early to quaff anything more spirited than H2O.
   
   * * *
   
   WE commented on his glass of water as opening for a serious discussion on APC and the Mike Arroyo issue, but ended up with a full-blown discussion on -- water.
   
   You see, Aber was former chairman of the National Water and Sewerage Authority and is now consultant of Maynilad Water, one of two giant firms that took over Nawasa. It seems to us he takes his job seriously.
   
   Without waiting for us to settle in our seat, he mentioned the petition of Maynilad to be allowed to automatically adjust rates based on fluctuations in the foreign currency exchange rate.
   
   * * *
   
   ABER said that when Maynilad took over half of the Nawasa franchise area, the foreign exchange rate was just P26 to the dollar. Now it's hovering at P53. As a result, Nawasa's $800-million foreign loans absorbed by Maynilad now cost double.
   
   To catch up on this soaring expenses and to assure foreign creditors that Maynila could repay the loans while improving service, the water firm wants to raise its rates by half-centavo per liter or P4.75 per cubic meter. (One cubic meter is 1,000 liters or five 200-liter drums.)
   
   "Is half-centavo too much?"
   ...
   Sensing our impending capitulation, Aber followed up: "Consumption of up to 10 cubic meters a month, or 10,000 liters, is socially priced. Consumers now pay about P40/month all-in for 10 cubic meters, or the cost of two packs of cigarettes."
   
   We said we don't know about cigarettes because we don't smoke. Aber changed his tack: "Bigger consumers meeting the concession average of 30 cubic meters a month, or 30,000 liters, now pay about P160/month all-in, or the cost of a hamburger merienda for a family of six."
   
   Now how did Aber know I sometimes go to burgerhouses? Don't tell me he has been espying on me!
   
   * * *
   
   TO put him on the defensive, we charged back: But what we get from the tap is mostly hot air, and worst, we pay for that air!
   
   "Dios co" he said in bruised Famfamgo haccent, "What hair har you talking habout?"
   
   ...
   Aber the civil engineer did not have to compute the answer. He seemed to have figured it all out:
   
   "The added cost to the urban poor using 10 cubic meters of water will be around P20 a month. Those using as much as 30 cubic meters will have to pay around P85 more per month. Of course it's another matter if you have an Olympic-size swimming pool and you change the water everyday..."
   
   * * *
   
   ...
   We found no more need to press Aber about the APC firm.