In a bid to future-proof Iloilo’s water supply, Metro Iloilo Bulk Water (MIB) brought key officials from the Metro Iloilo Water District (MIWD) to tour the state-of-the-art facilities of sister company Maynilad Water Services, Inc. in Metro Manila.
The visit highlighted two of Maynilad’s flagship facilities: the ₱11-billion Poblacion Water Treatment Plant in Muntinlupa, which delivers 150 million liters per day (MLD) of potable water from Laguna Lake, and the ₱5-billion Parañaque NEW WATER Treatment Plant, which purifies 12 MLD of treated wastewater into potable water—the first of its kind in the country.
“These facilities are not just models—they are benchmarks we can match or exceed in Iloilo,” said MIB Interim COO Angelo David Berba. He emphasized MIB’s commitment to delivering “reliable, safe, and sustainable” water solutions by leveraging proven technologies like dissolved air flotation, ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis, and full automation via SCADA systems.
The tour aligns with MIB and MIWD’s roadmap to address Iloilo’s rising water demand amid population growth and climate-related challenges such as El Niño. A key component of this plan is securing allocation from the Jalaur Mega Dam through a government-to-government agreement, aimed at ensuring supply redundancy and climate resilience.
MIWD general manager Alfredo Tayo III described the visit as “very insightful,” saying it allowed the team to benchmark project timelines, capital expenditure, and performance targets such as non-revenue water and pressure standards.
Maynilad’s infrastructure currently serves millions in Metro Manila and Cavite, and is part of a ₱220-billion service enhancement program through 2027. MIB hopes to replicate and adapt this success in Iloilo through strategic investments in water source development and treatment plant expansion.
MIB currently supplies 50 MLD to Metro Pacific Iloilo Water (MPIW), the city’s primary water distributor. It is a joint venture between Metro Pacific Water and MIWD.
Berba urged swift coordination among stakeholders, warning, “Every delay threatens Iloilo’s water future.”
