The two concessionaires of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System namely Maynilad and Manila Water have thrown their full support to the New Centennial Water Supply Project —Kaliwa Dam that will supply additional 600 million liters daily by 2023 to Metro Manila, Cavite, Rizal and Bulacan as part of President Rodrigo Duterte’s water security and Build, Build, Build programs.
“Manila Water strongly supports the Water Security advocacy of MWSS and the recent creation of a Technical Working Group to develop the Water Supply Masterplan for both East and West Zones to sustain national development,” says Manila Water President and CEO Ferdinand M. dela Cruz.
“Given the 96-percent dependency of Metro Manila on Angat Dam, we underscore the urgency of building new water sources including the already approved Kaliwa Dam project. We will continue to work with MWSS and other related agencies in updating the much needed masterplan to address the future demand of the metropolis,” said Dela Cruz.
For his part, Maynilad President and CEO Ramoncito S. Fernandez said: “The Kaliwa dam project is in line with government efforts to ensure water supply sustainability and reliability for Metro Manila residents. It is an additional raw water source that will augment the supply from Angat dam, which is currently the only major source being tapped.”
According to Fernandez, the construction of the new dam is essential to meeting the water needs of an ever-growing population for the long term as it will also alleviate Metro Manila’s reliance on a single raw water source.
“Maynilad affirms the need for developing this new water source, and is committed to support the MWSS in implementing the project,” Fernandez said.
Meanwhile, MWSS thanked the two presidents of Manila Water and Maynilad for their unequivocal statements of support to the Kaliwa Dam project as this is part of the overall water security program of the Duterte administration.
Stressing that the MWSS is on a catch-up mode to avert water crisis in the coming years, Velasco credited the Duterte administration for having the political will and resolve to help solve the possible water shortage in the coming years in Metro Manila and its environs since no new surface water source was developed after Angat Dam.
The P12.2-billion Kaliwa Dam project will be funded by P10.2-billion China ODA and a counterpart fund of P2-billion from the Philippine government.
The formal signing of the contract between President Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jing Pin will be done on November 20, 2018 and the construction will be undertaken by China Energy Engineering Corp. and it is expected to be completed in 2023 or earlier.