In Bacolod City, Negros Occidental, Tubig Pilipinas Foundation Inc. (TPFI) has officially partnered with National University (NU) Bacolod through Project KINABUKASAN, an initiative created to help qualified students from host communities earn college degrees and build careers within their home region. Under this agreement, two scholars from Barangays Abo-Abo and Caliban in Murcia, Negros Occidental will receive full tuition coverage, education allowances, and academic support for courses linked to community and national development, such as Civil Engineering, Architecture, Accountancy, and Computer Science.
The program stems from TPFI’s core belief that infrastructure projects should also create opportunities for the people living in the areas they serve. By investing in education, the foundation aims to help young Negrenses become future professionals, engineers, managers, and community leaders. The partnership also highlights NU Bacolod’s track record of producing work-ready graduates; many of TPFI’s own leaders and technical staff—including experts in environmental management, hydrology, and engineering—are alumni of the school. One prominent example is Engr. Kayrelle Normae Guansing, a NU graduate and topnotcher in the Sanitary Engineering board exams, who has built a distinguished career in the water sector. Her success represents the career path Project KINABUKASAN seeks to open for its scholars: from quality education to professional excellence, then to serving their own communities.
The memorandum of agreement was signed by TPFI representatives Samuel T. Young and Engr. Guansing, alongside NU Bacolod officials Executive and Academic Director Ryan Joy J. Dizon and Administrative Director Marie Sharon Perez, cementing both institutions’ shared goals of advancing education, employment, and local progress.
Relatedly, TPFI’s subsidiary Bacolod Bulk Water draws its entire workforce of about 50 skilled professionals from Negros Island, with women holding key roles in management, construction, and engineering—demonstrating that local talent is fully capable of leading large-scale infrastructure work. The company supplies roughly 40 percent of Bacolod City’s water demand.
