The Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System held a consultative meeting on the New Centennial Water Source-Kaliwa Dam Project and dialogued with the project’s stakeholders to address the latter’s concerns on environmental impact and resettlement, among others.
In his welcome remarks, MWSS Administrator Reynaldo V. Velasco lauded the participants for taking time and effort to attend the session. “I am glad that we are all here and you responded to our invitation because I think there is really a need to understand the urgency of the water flagship project under President Rodrigo Duterte who made possible the funding for the project through a bilateral agreement with Chinese President Xi Jing Pin in October 2016 in a state to China,” he said.
Stressing that it took 30 years for the project to finally take off, Velasco said the project is not only an additional 650 mld water source project for Metro Manila to augment the 4,000 mld from Angat Dam but will also contribute to the development of the municipalities near the project site. “I am very certain that this Kaliwa dam project will also benefit the local government units around the project area notably Infanta and General Nakar,” added Velasco.
After the Kaliwa dam project overview was presented by New Centennial Water Source Project Manager engineer. Jose Alfredo B. Escoto Jr., MWSS Deputy Administrator for Engineering & Operations engineer Leonor C. Cleofas tackled the issues and concerns relative to the construction of the Kaliwa Dam.
According to Cleofas, an inter-agency cooperation is necessary for the realization of the project. MWSS is seeking the cooperation and support of DPWH for access roads construction and the DENR in connection with the Environmental Compliance Certificate; the LGUs for permits; Protected Areas Management Board; National Commission of Indigenous People, Department of Finance; Neda; and National Irrigation Administration.
Estimated construction cost of the project is P13.43 billion of which 85 percent will be funded by Official Development Assistance from China amounting to P10.2 billion while 15 percent will be shouldered by MWSS.
Three Chinese firms have been pre-qualified to bid in the construction of the Kaliwa Dam: China Energy Engineering Co. Ltd.; Power China Ltd.; and the consortium of Guandung Foreign Construction Co. Ltd. and Guandong Yuantian Engineering Co. Ltd. nominated by China Ministry of Commerce.
Last March 26, 2018, the three Chinese contractors have secured the bidding documents. They also conducted site visitations last April 12-13 2018. A pre-bid conference was held on April 16, 2018 where questions from the contractors were addressed by the Bids and Awards Committee.
Bids are scheduled to be submitted on May 11, 2018 while contract award and signing is slated by August 2018. By early September 2018, Notice to Proceed is targeted to be issued.
By Dec. 31, 2018, the ECC, PAMB clearance and FPIC (Free and Prior Informed Consent) Process for the project is expected to be secured prior to the start of the construction.
The Kaliwa Dam is designed to become a “medium-term” water source for Metro Manila, complementing the main water source, Angat Dam.
Located at Barangay Pagsangahan, General Nakar, Quezon and Barangay Infanta, Quezon, Kaliwa is expected to deliver an additional 600 million liters per day to the existing 4,123 MLD. The dam towers at 62 meters in height and coverts a reservoir area of 113 hectares and watershed area of 9,700 hectares.
The project involves the construction of a 27.7-kilometer raw water conveyance tunnel with a design capacity of 2,400 million liters per day.