ILOILO CITY — the P5 Billion, 5 Years development plan since 2020 has since become an ever changing benchmark, initially “due to the pandemic” and obviously resulting from delays in the completion of Jalaur dam project where 86,000 cubic meters per day of water were expected to be sourced.
Still supplying only 27% of the demand in Iloilo City and six years after the “joint venture (JV) agreement” between Metro Pacific Water and Metro Iloilo Water District were forged to form what is now the Metro Pacific Iloilo Water (MPIW).
The JV touted an P11 Billion, 25 Years delivery of potable water service concession to Iloilo City, Leganes, Oton, San Miguel, Pavia, Sta. Barbara, Cabatuan and Maasin towns.
MPIW has so far confirmed 79,000 cubic meters (79K/CMD) per day capacity or 79 million liters per day (79M/LD). Of this total volume the water utility acknowledges 47% non-revenue water (NRW) due to leakages, infrastructure inefficiency, pilferage, etc. which translates to about 35,000/CMD of potable water loss per day in its system.
Meanwhile, the entire system covered by the MPIW-MIWD “joint venture” requires a minimum of 100-MLD for Iloilo City, and roughly another 100-MLD for the 7 municipalities in its coverage area, per a “power and water sectors” 2024 report.
Angelo David Berba, chief operating officer (COO) of MPIW told HilwayNews at a recent press briefing “we are now in the advanced stage of negotiations” with the National Irrigation Administration for the 86,000 cubic meter per day of potable water.
“It’s a game changer,” Berba said in an earlier interview. For now, the optimism is “floating in the water,” as the euphemism goes.
