Bulakeños mount ‘people power’ protest against Lucio Co-led PrimeWater, calls
for nationwide boycott of Puregold and All Day
Thousands rally outside Puregold-Starmall, demand water operator’s exit from
San Jose del Monte

June 22, 2026, San Jose del Monte, Bulacan — Thousands of residents and workers
protested against Lucio Co-led PrimeWater Infrastructure Corp., demanding its removal
from San Jose del Monte’s water operations and calling for a nationwide boycott of
Puregold and AllDay.

Organized by the Confederation of City of San Jose del Monte Homeowners
Associations, Inc. (CCHOAI), Sentro ng Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa
(SENTRO), and the Small Entrepreneurs for Livelihood Development Association
(SELDA), the demonstration was held outside Puregold-Starmall, a location associated
with the respective business interests of Co and the Villar Group.

The groups described the rally as the beginning of a broader “people power” movement
against PrimeWater and urged consumers in other PrimeWater service areas to join the
boycott.

Protesters carried placards demanding accountability for recurring water interruptions,
inadequate supply, questionable billing, and reports of foul-smelling and sediment-filled
water.

“We are boycotting Puregold and AllDay. For years, we paid our bills and waited for
improvements, only to discover the actual condition of the facilities behind the service
failures. Nothing can compensate for the hardship ‘CrimeWater’ has caused us for
nearly a decade. There are other supermarkets. Why should consumers continue
supporting businesses linked to a company that files cases against planned
improvements to our water system?” CCHOAI President Joshua Crisostomo said.

CCHOAI cited the local government’s inspection findings that 27 of the city’s 37 waterrelated facilities were reportedly abandoned or not being properly utilized.
The groups also denounced PrimeWater’s repeated legal efforts to stop the City
Government’s interim intervention.

According to the protesters, PrimeWater’s first two attempts to secure injunctive relief
before courts in Bulacan and Las Piñas were unsuccessful. The company subsequently
filed another petition before a different branch of the RTC Las Piñas, which granted
preliminary injunctive relief.

“The water facilities, affected residents, and local government actions are all in San
Jose del Monte, Bulacan. PrimeWater’s reported principal office is in Taguig, not Las
Piñas. An exposé has also questioned whether it still maintains an actual office at the
Las Piñas address it invoked. These issues deserve a clear explanation,” Marialen
Garcia of SENTRO said.

SELDA, representing small entrepreneurs and livelihood workers affected by unreliable
water service, directly challenged Co to demonstrate that his group has the technical
capability and a concrete plan to rehabilitate the city’s water system.

“We only learned that Lucio Co now owns PrimeWater through news reports. Water
distribution is not the same as operating a supermarket. Since the acquisition, we have
not seen PrimeWater present a detailed and credible program explaining how it intends
to improve water service,” MJ Torrejos from SELDA said.

The protesters vowed to sustain public actions until PrimeWater relinquishes its claim
over the city’s water operations and residents are assured of safe, sufficient, and
reliable water service.

“From San Jose del Monte, we plan to bring the protest to the Las Piñas Hall of Justice
tomorrow to call on the judges’ attention to the legal actions being used against efforts
to improve water service,” Torrejos said.

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