Gov’t approves funding for MWSS projects

The government has approved funding for feasibility studies as well as technical assistance on several projects of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) worth at least P45 billion.

Finance Undersecretary John Philip Sevilla said in an interview that the endorsement for funding—P20 million for the studies and P60 million for technical assistance—came from the Project Development and Monitoring Facility (PDMF) Board.

With support from the Philippine government and the Australian government, through the Asian Development Bank, the PDMF is a P550-million revolving fund that may be tapped to finance the preparation and pre-investment studies on government projects.

Gerry Esquivel, MWSS administrator, said in a statement that feasibility of two of the three projects covered by the endorsement would still have to be established.

One is the P25-billion New Water Supply Source project, which involves the construction of a dam, water treatment plant and associated pipelines to deliver and augment the supply of potable water for an estimated 15 million Metro Manila residents.

Currently, Angat Dam is the only source of water for Metro Manila, providing 4,000 million liters per day (MLD), or 398 MLD short of the needed 4,395 MLD, Equivel said.

MWSS needs to develop additional sources of water, citing studies that show that by 2015 the demand for potable water in the National Capital Region is expected to reach 5,054 MLD, he added.

The other project is the maintenance and rehabilitation of auxiliary turbines at the Angat hydroelectric power plant and the Macua mini-hydro power plant.

Also, the PPP Center of the Philippines has approved the provision of technical assistance for the MWSS Balara Water Hub project. This project, which may cost some P20 billion, is envisioned to be an international center for water excellence.