Manila Water Company: World Bank Executive Directors tour Manila Water projects

World Bank Executive Directors tour Manila Water projects

Posted: Saturday September 22, 2007

Executive Directors from the World Bank (WB) led by Acting Country Director Maryse Gautier recently visited the country’s biggest septage treatment plant at the FTI Complex in Taguig. The Manila South Septage Treatment Plant was one of two septage treatment plants funded by the World Bank under the Manila Third Sewerage Project (MTSP), the other being the Manila North Septage Treatment Plant in San Mateo, Rizal.

The World Bank directors were impressed at the speed at which the FTI plant was finished, three months ahead of schedule. The FTI plant has a plant capacity of about 814 cubic meters per day and serves the areas of Taguig and the other cities of Metro Manila.

Manila Water officials led by its President Antonino T. Aquino briefed the World Bank officials of the wastewater master plan of the company. He said that sewer coverage would be up to 30% by year 2010. For the unsewered areas, he said that Manila Water has intensified its desludging program dubbed as Sanitasyon Para Sa Barangay (SPSB), the collected septage to be treated in the two treatment plants. President Aquino also showed World Bank the fleet of vacuum tankers used for the sanitation operations.

The delegation from the World Bank also visited a Tubig Para Sa Barangay (TPSB) or Water for the Poor project located at Cuasay, also in Taguig. TPSB is the flagship program of Manila Water which benefited around 90 households or 540 residents in Cuasay. Manila Water and World Bank officials made an inspection of the Cuasay project and had the chance to interact with the project beneficiaries, much to the delight of the residents.

The World Bank has been very supportive of the public private partnership thrust of the government and has helped Manila Water by linking the water and wastewater firm with other institutions for its pro-poor programs. Similarly, WB has also assisted Manila Water in the development and publication of the company’s Sustainability Report, the only report of its kind by any local company in the country.

Joining Ms. Galtier during the visit were World Bank officials Rogerio Studart of Brazil, Alexander Gibbs of UK, Louis Philippe Ong Seng of Mauritius, Jorge Familiar Calderon of Mexico, Mohammed Kamel Amr of Egypt and Ben Eijbergen. Jesse Ang and Karen Finkelston from the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and, Stella Laureano, Nelson Ambat and Charmelle Recoter from the Department of Finance also took part in the project visits.