Maynilad allots P2.64B for south Metro projects

Maynilad Water Services Inc. said it would spend more than P2.64 billion to improve and expand its water services in Parañaque, Muntinlupa, Las Piñas and Cavite this year.

The company said it earmarked more than P2 billion to extend primary, secondary and tertiary pipelines in Cavite.

Another P446 million would be spent to reinforce and replace primary lines along Daang Hari Highway from Muntinlupa and Las Piñas.

The firm is also spending P58 million to fund pipe replacement projects in Parañaque to further improve water supply and pressure for customers in the area who are being supplied by Maynilad’s Villamor pumping station.

More than 182 kilometers of pipes would be installed in those municipalities this year, Maynilad said. Nearly 47,000 households were expected to benefit from the projects, which would also generate some 9,400 jobs, the company said.

“We are expediting our service improvement projects in Parañaque, Muntinlupa, Las Piñas and Cavite because the residents there have waited too long to have access to our services. With the support of the public and their respective local government units, we hope to serve even more households and establishments in the south this year,” Maynilad president Ricky P. Vargas said.

Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) and DMCI Holdings Inc. took over operations of Maynilad from the Lopez family in 2007.

Five years after its re-privatization, Maynilad has increased its customer base from only 6.1 million at the end of 2006 to 7.9 million by December 2011. Among the new customers were households and establishments that have been waterless for decades and relied on unsafe and expensive water deliveries from private deep well operators.

Maynilad is a concessionaire of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System for the West Zone of the greater Manila area, which is made up of the cities of Manila (all but portions of San Andres and Sta. Ana), Quezon City (west of San Juan River, West Ave. Edsa, Congressional and Mindanao avenues, the northern part starting from the districts of the Holy Spirit and Batasan Hills), Makati (west of South Super Highway), Caloocan, Pasay, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, Valenzuela, Navotas and Malabon, all in Metro Manila; Cavite City and the towns of Bacoor, Imus, Kawit, Noveleta and Rosario, all in Cavite province.