Aboitiz gets first crack at P5-billion Iloilo water project

MANILA, Philippines — Aboitiz InfraCapital Inc. (AIC) has secured the original proponent status (OPS) in its bid to boost the water supply of Iloilo province with a proposed P5-billion facility.

The infrastructure arm of the Aboitiz Group gained the OPS for the Iloilo Bulk Water Supply public-private partnership (PPP) project in Iloilo City last week.

AIC president and chief executive officer Cosette Canilao said the company’s proposed development could “[strengthen] Iloilo’s water security and infrastructure resilience.”

The official said AIC was all set to work with its partners to launch “a future-ready water system for all Ilonggos.”

The special status is granted to private players whose unsolicited proposals have been evaluated and deemed qualified.

AIC will still need to face the Swiss challenge stage, where other rivals can submit competitive proposals. Given its OPS, the group can match those stronger offers and still win the project.

86 million liters per day

Under its proposal, the firm seeks to build a new facility that could supply 86 million liters per day (MLD) of potable bulk water across the province.

The company could not immediately provide a timeline for construction and completion of the project, assuming it gets the go signal.

Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas, meanwhile, welcomed Aboitiz InfraCapital’s proposal as he acknowledged the need for “water redundancy” amid the city’s robust local economy. The city was previously named as Western Visayas’ fastest-growing economy.

“The need for water is really tremendous. And we can see that even with a desalination plant—because of rapid growth—we will continue to need additional water,” the government official said.

AIC’s water subsidiary, Apo Agua Infrastructura, Inc., jointly operates with the Davao City Water District the Davao City Bulk Water Supply project. This is the country’s largest bulk water supply facility, which delivers 300 MLD of clean and potable water.

READ: Aboitiz on the prowl for more water projects