Water fix: MPIW to lay 208 km of pipelines

ILOILO CITY — Metro Pacific Iloilo Water Inc. (MPIW) aims to install and replace 208 kilometers of pipelines from late 2026 through 2027 to improve water services for about 221,000 residents of Iloilo City and Iloilo province.

MPIW has allocated about PHP 5 billion in capital expenditures, with 85% earmarked for non-revenue water (NRW) reduction and service-line improvement projects.

NRW refers to water lost or unaccounted for before it reaches a paying customer.

MPIW is a joint venture of Metro Pacific Water and the Metro Iloilo Water District that began operating on July 1, 2019, under a 25-year concession.

Under the concession, MPIW aims to reduce NRW from 50% to 35% over 25 years.

Iloilo City has 25 pipeline projects under way in 2026, with 10 more planned for 2027.

In Iloilo province, 11 projects are scheduled for 2026, with four more planned for 2027.

Bryan Rubiano, head of MPIW’s engineering division, said the projects are expected to recover about 10 million liters per day (MLD) of water, equivalent to the estimated consumption of around 10,000 households.

“The 208 kilometers is almost one-fourth of the existing pipelines in Metro Iloilo. We are doing that from 2026 to 2027,” he said.

The projects will span about 100 barangays and are expected to benefit around 221,000 people.

Based on MPIW’s target project summary map, service expansion projects are planned primarily in Jaro, as well as parts of Mandurriao and City Proper.

NRW reduction projects will focus on Mandurriao, Jaro, City Proper, La Paz, and Lapuz.

Service-level improvement projects are scheduled in Mandurriao, Jaro, La Paz, and Lapuz in 2026, while projects in Molo are scheduled for 2027.

MPIW chief operating officer Angelo David Berba said the company is investing heavily in pipeline replacement because many of its pipelines are aging and due for replacement.

Some pipes are also undersized, which restricts the amount of water that can reach households, he said.

Asked why the projects are taking time to complete, Berba said the company needs to implement them in phases to minimize disruption.

“We need to phase it. We cannot do that in one go,” he said.

He said the phased approach is intended to prevent traffic gridlock and limit the impact of construction on the public.

Berba said the NRW projects will be completed in time to complement the energization of the company’s desalination plant in Ingore, La Paz.

MPIW targets partial energization by December 2027, which would deliver an additional 30 MLD.

Full operation of the PHP 5.5 billion main facility would serve long-term needs.

The desalination facility, which broke ground on Feb. 21, 2025, is designed to produce 66,500 cubic meters of potable water daily.

MPIW also appealed for public- and private-sector support for the pipeline projects, particularly in securing clearances and permits needed to expedite their implementation.

“We would like to ask for the understanding and patience of the public in terms of the projects because these are numerous projects in the coming months. You can see them all over Iloilo,” Rubiano said.

“Definitely, there will be inconveniences along the projects, but we assure you that all of these will take effect and will be felt by the public to give you greater services in terms of water quality, supply, and pressure,” he added.