Manila Water Company: Manila Water Story

Manila Water Story » The Result

Today, Manila Water stands proud as a shining example of a successful public-private sector partnership. Among its most notable achievements since 1997 are as follows:

Reduction in water losses (non-revenue water) from 63 percent to 30.4 percent as of December 2006
Increase in the number of customers served by two million, now at approximately more than five million
Increase in the percentage of customers enjoying 24-hour water availability from 26 percent in 1997 to 98 percent as of end 2006
Increase in the volume of water delivered to customers from 440 million liters per day (MLD) to 948 MLD by December 2006
100 percent compliance with water quality standards
Water for the poor from 850,000 to 1 million people
Capital investments from 17.5 to 23 billion
Net income to 2.4

In addition, the company has also achieved significant inroads in terms of sewerage and sanitation services. The company has successfully completed the rehabilitation of the wastewater treatment plant located in Magallanes (south of Makati City), which processes up to 40 million liters of wastewater per day. It has also constructed 26 package sewage treatment plants all over Metro Manila and it continues to offer free desludging services to customers in its territory as part of its community service.

A great number of the people who have benefited from these improvements comes from the lower-income sector of the populace. Through the company?s Tubig Para sa Barangay Program ("Water for the Poor"), the company was able to reach out to more than 850,000 residents from poor communities who previously had no access to clean and affordable water.

All these were achieved through massive capital investments totaling P17.5 billion to date. Over the years, more than 1,300 kilometers of new pipelines have been laid out in various areas to improve service delivery and minimize water losses. Most of the existing pipelines in the system are slated to be replaced in various stages.

One of the company's most significant achievements is its remarkable financial performance. The company was able to turn in a favorable net profit for the first time in 2001. There has been no turning back since. In 2003, the company doubled its net income to P1.2 billion compared to the previous year's P558 million. Its financial record allowed the company to secure favorable financing terms from international financial institutions such as the DEG (German Development Bank) and the International Finance Corporation.

The company maintained a steady growth in 2005, with its net income registering at P2.01 billion.

All told, these accomplishments are a tribute to the leadership and vision of Manila Water's management, as well as the dedication of its 1,500-strong workforce that is now part-owner of the company through the employee stock option plan or ESOP. It should not be forgotten, however, that the success of the company is also a result of the healthy collaboration among stakeholders - and that includes the public sector - all working towards the common goal of improving the lives of the people being served in Metro Manila's East Zone.

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