METROPAC Water Investments Corp. (Metro Pacific Water) said it targets to complete the Philippines’ largest desalination plant in Iloilo City by 2026.
“We’re all focused on that. That will be the biggest desalination for the Philippines. So far, the target is to have it operational by 2026,” Metro Pacific Water President and Chief Executive Officer Christopher Andrew B. Pangilinan said on the sidelines of an event on Tuesday.
In June, the company signed an agreement with France-based Suez, a water and waste management solutions provider, for the construction of a P5-billion desalination plant capable of producing 66.5 million liters of water per day.
Mr. Pangilinan said that the project is slated to begin construction in the latter part of the third quarter.
“If you look at the technology, compared it to ten years ago, I think we’re 10 times more efficient now in terms of cost. Still expensive but we’re optimistic in the long run [that] this will be a viable solution to the Philippines especially that we’re an archipelago, so we’re sort of piloting a big risk but we’re willing to pilot this in Iloilo,” he said.
The company noted that Metro Iloilo is undergoing rapid economic and population growth, which is putting a strain on the existing water resources.
A new desalination plant would be a pivotal project to ensure a reliable and sustainable water supply for the region in the immediate and medium term, according to Metro Pacific Water.
“If it turns out successful, I’m sure we could easily replicate this in other islands all across the Philippines,” Mr. Pangilinan said.
Metro Pacific Water, a wholly owned subsidiary of Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC), manages water and wastewater concessions throughout the Philippines and in Vietnam.
Its Iloilo subsidiary, Metro Pacific Iloilo Water, a joint venture with the Metro Iloilo Water District, serves Iloilo City and the municipalities of Pavia, Leganes, Sta. Barbara, Cabatuan, Oton, San Miguel, and Maasin.
MPIC is one of three key Philippine units of First Pacific, alongside Philex Mining Corp. and PLDT Inc. Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of the PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., holds a majority stake in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera
