San Miguel Corp. Will Submit Unsolicited Plans to Build a P35 Billion Water Source

While Manila Water Company’s shortage crisis continues to affect lives around the metro, San Miguel Corporation has been actively stepping up for months. On May 21, SMC president and chief operating officer Ramon Ang announced during a Petron stakeholder’s meeting that he will submit unsolicited plans to the government to build a privately operated water source worth P35 billion, CNN Philippines reports.

This proposed project will provide an additional 3,800 million liters of water a day and will be relatively more affordable for customers, costing P5 per cubic meter. No other details were given on the plans.

Meanwhile, the government is constructing the New Centennial Water Source-Kaliwa Dam project through a loan covered by the Chinese government. The dam worth P12.2 billion in total is said to produce 600 million liters of water a day.

Currently, the SMC Group has stakes on a water treatment project in Bulacan. The Bulacan Bulk Water Supply Project has been in the works since January 2019, with the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System as its implementing agency and Korea Water Resources Corporation as a partner. The P24.21-billion plant is projected to offer 200 million liters per day and is meant to act as the water source for the province.