MWSS Administrator Reynaldo V. Velasco urged the National Economic and Development Authority to fast-track the approval of MWSS projects in the pipeline so that the agency can ensure it can carry out its mission of water security in supplying water for 25 million Metro Manilans that is sufficient, safe, and continuous for personal and domestic uses.
Velasco made the call in his welcome remarks during the 61st Project Implementation Officers’ Meeting hosted by MWSS the other day. He also expressed the need for the creation of a new Technical Working Group with members coming from MWSS, the three concessionaries, Manila Water, Maynilad and Luzon Water Development, that will be responsible for the planning, implementation and assessment of doable projects in the next five, 10 or even 20 years.
For his part, Neda Undersecretary Rolando Tungpalan lauded MWSS under Velasco for the agency’s clear cut vision and goal—that of achieving a sustainable water security infrastructure and framework for Metro Manila and its other coverage areas.
Velasco remarked that only Kaliwa Dam out of the two flagship dam projects proposed by MWSS under the New Centennial Water Project, has been approved by Neda early this year with a 10.8 billion ODA from China.
The MWSS chief emphasized that the joint implementation of Kaliwa and Laiban dams, along with ongoing water source projects being undertaken by its concessionaires and the possible rehabilitation of Wawa Dam, altogether will yield an additional 3,500 MLD to complement the 4,000 MLD from Angat Dam which actually supplies 95.6 percent of the water supply needs of Metro Manila and other nearby provinces.
“With these new water sources, MWSS will ensure adequate, steady and sustainable water supply for our consumers in Metro Manila and adjoining provinces in the next 10 to 25 years, even 50 years—which shall form part of our collective legacy as public servants to future generations of Filipinos,” Velasco added.
Updates on the MWSS-Implemented Angat Water Transmission Improvement Project were among the topics taken up during the meeting. Also discussed were the Flagship Infrastructure Projects that comprise the “Build, Build, Build” Program of the Duterte Administration with a total funding requirement of P8.44 trillion.
The findings of the CY 2016 ODA Portfolio Review was also among those taken up as well as the 2017 Good Practice Awards aimed at encouraging agencies to “take stock of their performance in implementing programs and projects; recognize implementing agencies which developed good practices; and multiply benefits of such practices by allowing other implementing agencies to learn from them and adopt them.”