MPIW vows September 2026 finish for Jaro pipe project

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

Metro Pacific Iloilo Water has committed to complete the HS Jaro Pipe Replacement Project by September 2026, nearly two years after civil works began.

MPIW chief operating officer Angelo David Berba said delays stemmed from poor workmanship by the original contractor, whose contract has been terminated, and from shipment delays for imported pipe fittings caused by global supply chain disruptions and geopolitical issues.

“Right now, our projection is to finish this in September. We exhaust our means to finish that by the said date,” he said Wednesday, May 13, during the regular session of the Iloilo City Council.

Berba said the project has reached about 35% completion. He expressed confidence the deadline would be met after MPIW began 24/7 pipe-laying operations in March.

Construction began with a groundbreaking in August 2024.

The project replaces aging pipelines to cut non-revenue water losses from roughly 70% to 20%, potentially recovering 10 million liters daily and serving about 5,000 more households in Jaro and Mandurriao.

It covers portions of Lopez Jaena Street and the Old Iloilo-Capiz Road from Ungka Terminal to Jaro Plaza, spanning nearly 15 kilometers and involving the installation of large pipelines.

Amid mounting concerns over road conditions caused by excavation, Berba said MPIW has changed its temporary road restoration strategy.

“We are complying with the mandate to make all roads passable even while pipe-laying activities are ongoing,” he said.

Berba said workers now refill trenches with subbase and base course materials immediately after excavation before applying temporary restoration.

Previously, MPIW used temporary asphalt overlays, but Berba acknowledged these sometimes became uneven and risky for motorists when not fully cured.

“What we did is we are now using ready-mixed concrete. This is more expensive. This is a temporary restoration to make it passable, so it is not enclosed with the board-ups and bollards,” he said.

He said the utility is also placing steel plates over portions of excavated road to improve accessibility.

The issue was raised in council by Councilor Jose Maria Dela Llana, who described the road from Central Philippine University to San Isidro and Sambag, Jaro as rough enough to make commuters “feel like they are riding a train.”

Dela Llana also said about six motorcycle accidents had been recorded in San Isidro since temporary asphalt fixes were applied.

Berba said ongoing works near the regional office of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology in San Isidro are expected to be completed next week, pending hydrotesting.

Hydrotesting, or hydrostatic testing, checks newly installed water pipelines for leaks, structural integrity, and durability before the system becomes operational.

Berba said MPIW conducts hydrotesting every 50 meters, although excavation permits allow up to 300 meters of trenching at a time.

“Our permit allows 300 meters of excavation, but hydrotesting is done every 50 meters. Every time we excavate, the road must remain passable, and we now place temporary ready-mixed concrete over the affected area,” he said.

He said MPIW can complete a 300-meter excavation and restoration cycle within a day under its round-the-clock operations.