BY GLENDA SOLOGASTOA
ILOILO City – Under fire for its poor water supply and distribution system, Metro Iloilo Water District (MIWD) is exploring a joint venture with the country’s largest private water concessionaire in terms of customer base.
Maynilad Water Services, Inc. may submit a proposal by Friday next week, disclosed MIWD chairman, Dr. Danilo Encarnacion.
The city’s sole water distributor is under pressure to improve its service in time for the 2015 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit.
Iloilo City is hosting two APEC ministerial meetings but Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog has expressed concern over the metropolis’ poor water situation.
Maynilad is the concessionaire of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System for the West Zone of the Greater Manila Area, which is composed of the cities of Manila (certain portions), portions Quezon City, Makati (west of South Super Highway), Caloocan, Pasay, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, Valenzuela, Navotas and Malabon; the cities of Cavite, Bacoor and Imus, and the towns of Kawit, Noveleta and Rosario, all in Cavite province.
Encarnacion said MIWD is currently consolidating plans and projects and that adjustments would be made in preparation for the likely joint venture with Maynilad.
Some of the proposed projects with Maynilad are the rehabilitation of MIWD wells as water source and putting up of more distribution lines, Encarnacion said.
“The target date for implementation of the projects is between February to March 2015,” he added.
Encarnacion also said MIWD already received a notice from the Development Bank of the Philippines confirming approval of its application for a P150-million loan.
“We are doing the necessary preparations (for APEC),” said Encarnacion.
Iloilo City will host the Small and Medium Enterprises Ministerial Meeting from September 21 to 25, 2015, according to a July 22 memorandum issued by Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr.
Around 700 delegates from 21 APEC member economies are expected to attend.
The city will also host the Food Security Week (High Level Policy Dialogue on Food Security and the Blue Economy and Related Meetings) from September 28 to October 6 next year, with an estimated 900 delegates attending.
MIWD currently has two bulk water supply contracts – with Flo Water Resources Iloilo, Inc. and Prime Water Ventures, Inc. – to boost its water supply.
But with MIWD’s small and rundown distribution pipes, there is little improvement in the city’s water supply and distribution.
Financial problems with its bulk water contractors further aggravated MIWD’s already wanting service. Just this June 14, the bulk water suppliers stopped delivering water to MIWD.
The supply resumed only two days later, after MIWD coughed up money to fulfill its financial obligations with its suppliers.
MIWD’s pipes receive 5,000 cubic meters of water from Flo Water a day, and 10,000 cubic meters from Prime Water, said Encarnacion./PN
