LONG DELAYED: MPIW Banks on Jalaur Bulk Water to Resolve Shortage

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

The Metro Pacific Iloilo Water (MPIW) is counting on the bulk water supply from the Jalaur River Multi-Purpose Project Stage II (JRMP II) as the primary long-term solution to address the water shortage in Iloilo City.

MPIW chief operating officer Angelo David Berba said that amid the ongoing construction of the desalination plant and the implementation of other short-term measures, the existing water supply remains insufficient.

Berba noted that the production capacity of around 66.5 million liters of potable water per day (MLD) from the P5.5 billion desalination plant can only satisfy 60 percent of the total demand of Iloilo City.

“There is still 40 percent that will not benefit. That’s why we are highlighting again, the long-term solution is Jalaur,” he said in an interview on Monday, March 17.

Earlier this February, Metro Pacific Water, MPIW’s lead investor, broke ground on the construction of the desalination plant designed to convert seawater from the Iloilo Strait into potable water. The project is expected to be completed and operational by 2027.

“Even if we can energize the desalination plant by 2027, that’s still not enough. That’s why we need this (86 MLD) of Jalaur,” he added.

The JRMP II, the first large-scale water reservoir outside Luzon, includes components for bulk water supply, hydroelectric power, and solar power, among others.

The project’s bulk water component is designed to provide approximately 86,400 cubic meters per day or 86.4 MLD of bulk water to meet the commercial and industrial needs of Iloilo City and surrounding towns.

The project involves the construction of three dams and an 80.74-kilometer high-line canal, which will allow the efficient distribution of bulk water across the region.

While the dams are complete, construction of the high-line canal remains pending.

Daewoo Engineering & Construction Co. Ltd., the contractor of JMRP II, managed to complete over 16 kilometers of the canal before their contract ended late last year. The National National Irrigation Administration said they will be tapping local contractors for its construction.

“The high-line canal has to be started already so that the water can already be delivered to Iloilo properly. It is long delayed,” Berba stressed.

Berba said the national government must make a final decision on how to manage the one cubic meter per second allocation of 86 MLD.

“Will it be PPP or will it be the water district that will get the water? Because the government is the cheapest option,” he added.

He also noted that MPIW remains committed to complying with the tariff schedule of the water district, which would ensure that water rates would be cheaper if a government entity gets the bulk water supply.

“We are bound to comply with the tariff schedule of the water district. And it is only below P30. It did not reach the mid P30 like the proposal of other private entities,” he stressed.

NIA previously disclosed that Manila Water Philippine Ventures, Inc. signed a memorandum of understanding with the agency to utilize the bulk water supply of JRMP II.

An MOU, however, does not guarantee an eventual approval of the proponent’s proposal.

Metro Iloilo Water District has also submitted a proposal to NIA, aiming to adopt a government-to-government scheme for accessing the bulk water supply.

Once approved, the supply will be distributed through MPIW, which manages the distribution network, and Metro Iloilo Bulk Water Supply Corporation, which provides treated bulk water.