Tagum Water, a Manila Water subsidiary serving Tagum City, Davao del Norte, was recognized at the ASEAN Energy Awards 2025 for its outstanding energy management practices in the Small and Medium Industries category. The company earned 1st Runner-Up for its Tagum Water Energy Efficiency Program during the awarding ceremony held alongside the 43rd ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting (AMEM) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Representing Tagum Water at the event was Roberto Vasquez, regional group director for VisMin of Manila Water Philippine Ventures.
At the heart of the award-winning program is the use of Riverbank Filtration and Artificial Recharge technology at the Tagum Water Treatment Plant, which supplies about 71% of the city’s water needs—serving over 200,000 residents. This system replaces traditional deepwell sources with a more energy-efficient method that improves water quality and reduces power use.
Tagum Water also installed Variable Frequency Drives, capacitor banks, and optimized booster pumps to further cut energy consumption. These initiatives lowered the company’s Energy Efficiency Index from 1.91 to 1.18 MJ per cubic meter between 2019 and 2024. The improvements saved 25.7 million MJ of energy—worth around USD 1.5 million—and reduced CO₂ emissions by 5,135 tons, or 38 percent less than projected levels.
With a total investment of US$1.8 million, the program highlights Tagum Water’s commitment to sustainable and climate-conscious operations. The company previously received the Department of Energy (DOE) Energy Efficiency Award in 2024 under the same category.
