Western Visayas is confronting deepening water insecurity amid fast-paced economic growth—and Aboitiz InfraCapital, Inc. (AIC) and Apo Agua Infrastructura, Inc. stepped forward at Water Dialogue 2025 in Iloilo City on to catalyze a collaborative path forward.
Hosted by the Iloilo Business Club with Region VI’s regional development council, the event held on June 19 focused on integrated water management with the theme “Water We Waiting For?”
Aboitiz InfraCapital president and chief executive officer Cosette Canilao spoke at the opening plenary, calling for decisive action to fortify Iloilo’s water infrastructure. She spotlighted Apo Agua’s success in Davao City, where the Davao City Bulk Water Supply Project consistently delivers 300 million liters of potable water daily to more than one million residents.
Canilao, who was formerly executive director of the Public Private Partnership Center, said that a clear split—Apo Agua producing water, Davao City Water District handling distribution—enhances performance and accountability.
“This is governance in action—scalable, transparent, resilient,” Canilao explained. She urged Iloilo to adopt redundancy and diversify providers to build stronger systems. The newly amended PPP law and its implementing rules and regulation, she said, reframe private partners as true investors bearing both risk and responsibility—not mere intermediaries.
Mayor Jerry Treñas echoed the urgency: “Water is needed not tomorrow—we needed water yesterday.” He underscored Iloilo City’s smart development strategies and commitment to public-private collaboration as vital to sustaining investor confidence.
Meanwhile, Iloilo Province has allocated approximately P70 million to rural water systems, addressing the pressing fact that nearly half of Iloilo’s households lack clean water, according to Provincial Administrator Raul Banias.
Apo Agua general manager Ronnie Lim also spoke during the Lightning Talks, detailing how the Davao project leverages a water-energy nexus—where wastewater is treated and turned into both power and drinkable water. The project has extended service to nearly 96 percent of the city and achieved a 99.6 percent customer satisfaction rating by the end of 2024.
Undersecretary Carlos Abad Santos further called for national agencies like the National Water Resource Board, PPP Center, and Department of Finance to align more closely with local government units. He noted that both grassroots insight and high-level convergence are essential for bridging infrastructure gaps.
Together, the dialogue revealed a growing consensus: integrated, multi-stakeholder water management is no longer optional—it’s essential to securing a resilient, water-secure future for Western Visayas.
