Water security key to Iloilo’s Smart City Future

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

As Iloilo City’s economy and business environment continue to grow, the local government must first address water security issues to advance toward becoming a smart city.

“We need to address the water source for Iloilo City,” said Arvin Losaria, Lambunao Vice Mayor and Vice Mayors’ League of the Philippines (VMLP) National Vice Chairman for Visayas, echoing concerns raised by Iloilo City Vice Mayor Jeffrey Ganzon.

More than 600 vice mayors from across the nation gathered in Iloilo City for the inaugural summit on smart local government units (LGUs), organized by the VMLP from August 13 to 15.

The three-day summit brought together stakeholders in local governance, technology experts, and providers to foster a common understanding and stronger commitment to transforming LGUs into smart localities.

It also served as a platform for sharing local concerns and best practices to achieve the smart LGU goal.

“In this summit, we want to know the status of our LGUs and bring forward to our local leaders our desire to achieve smart LGU standards,” Losaria explained.

Losaria emphasized that Ganzon highlighted the water security challenges Iloilo City faced during the recent dry season and the El Niño phenomenon.

Iloilo City was placed under a state of calamity due to water scarcity as early as April and initiated its “Oplan Bulig Tubig Sa Syudad,” or the rationing of city-procured water, in May.

To date, the city government continues to ration water in the City Proper, Lapaz, and Lapuz districts—areas at the far end of the network with high levels of non-revenue water.

Metro Pacific Iloilo Water (MPIW), the major water distribution utility of Iloilo City, previously stated that they are “trying to catch up” with the rising demand for water in the city.

“The demand growth here is extremely high, and we are trying to catch up with it. In two years’ time, we need to double the supply we are getting from our bulk water providers,” an MPIW representative said.

The Iloilo City Council has identified several factors contributing to the water shortage, including inadequate bulk water supply, aging and leaking pipelines causing significant water loss, and widespread illegal connections, among other issues.

In 2024, MPIW committed to implementing several rehabilitation projects, including complete pipe replacements in the city to reduce non-revenue water.

Recognizing the need for sustainable water solutions, MPIW has unveiled an PHP 8 billion service improvement plan for 2024-2028.

Recently, MPIW launched a PHP 336-million project to replace the hydraulic system and pipelines in Barangay Ungka, Jaro, aiming to strengthen the city’s water infrastructure and ensure a more reliable water supply.

The pipe replacement is expected to increase the city’s water supply by up to 15 million liters per day (MLD).

A key element of MPIW’s plan is to construct a desalination plant that is expected to be operational by 2026. The plant is projected to contribute an additional 50-65 MLD to Iloilo City’s water supply, providing crucial backup to the existing bulk water system.

Beyond the pipe replacement project, MPIW is also seeking additional sustainable bulk water providers in Western Visayas, securing water rights, and addressing regulatory and logistical aspects.

As of May 2024, MPIW has extended its service coverage to nearly 50,000 water connections, benefiting 230,000 residents in Iloilo City and seven neighboring towns.

Recent projections indicate that by the end of 2024, Iloilo City will need 47 MLD of water supply to provide 24/7 service to its residents.