The First Philippine Industrial Park (FPIP) has raised the alarm over the unsustainable over extraction of groundwater, warning it poses serious environmental and business risks.
Engr. Jeremaine Esguerra, head of FPIP’s water division and FPIP Utilities, Inc. (FUI), issued the warning during a recent water sustainability forum in Manila co-hosted by PEZA, UNDP-Philippines, and FutureWater Asia.
“Groundwater, which used to be abundant, is now in decline in both quality and quantity,” Esguerra said, citing aquifer overuse, volcanic activity, and poor sanitation as contributing factors.
She emphasized the dangers of continued overextraction, including land subsidence, saltwater intrusion, and the depletion of surface water supplies essential for agriculture—impacts that threaten ecosystems and economic activity alike.
To counter this, FPIP is investing in a P4-billion integrated water management plan that centers on water circularity—recycling and reusing water to minimize waste. At the heart of this plan is a new state-of-the-art river water treatment facility being built inside FPIP’s 600-hectare ecozone in Batangas.
Rather than extract more groundwater, the facility will treat up to 20 million liters of water daily from the San Juan River, a major tributary of Laguna de Bay. The project, which has secured an environmental compliance certificate from the DENR, is set for completion in November 2025.
Esguerra called the initiative a “testament to FPIP’s commitment to regeneration and environmental responsibility,” aligned with the Lopez Group’s broader decarbonization goals.
Other components of the water plan include solar power integration, rainwater reuse, and a project to turn invasive water hyacinths into biodegradable materials for water remediation.
FPIP, a joint venture between the Lopez-led First Philippine Holdings and Japan’s Sumitomo Corporation, hosts over 150 global manufacturers and employs more than 80,000 workers.
