Manila Water, Maynilad, and the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System Corporate Office (MWSS CO) recently signed the memorandum of agreement on the Integrated Watershed Management Roadmap for Angat, Ipo, and La Mesa (IWMRAIL) at the MWSS Balara Main Office.

The signing of the agreement was attended by top-level executives of the water sector namely Manila Water President and Chief Executive Office Jocot de Dios, MWSS Administrator Leonor Cleofas, Maynilad President and Chief Executive Officer Mon Fernandez, Manila Water East Zone Chief Operating Officer Arnold Mortera, Maynilad Chief Operating Officer Randolph Estrellado, and MWSS Board of Trustees Chairman Elpidio Vega.

The interagency agreement, which was spearheaded by the MWSS, features a roadmap to sustainably develop and manage the Angat, Ipo, and La Mesa watersheds by 2047 as sources of clean and safe water. These are the first watersheds to have a collaborative sustainability management roadmap among Manila Water, Maynilad, and MWSS. As stipulated in the MOA, both concessionaires will fund and carry out programs that will protect and rehabilitate the water sources and ensure sustainability.

“It goes without saying that this is a very important endeavor that we, as concessionaires (Manila Water and Maynilad), and MWSS are committing to. So, we are very happy that this initiative has come to [fruition]. You can rely on our commitment and our support to make sure that we will work with all the stakeholders to ensure a robust and well-protected vibrant watershed,” Manila Water President and CEO Jocot de Dios said during the signing.

The solid support for the landmark initiative is deeply rooted in the company’s principles. For 26 years, the company has been integrating sustainability in its operations and management systems. Watershed protection remains one of the major programs Manila Water is focusing on.

Beginning the second half of 2023, the company aims to plant and nurture 580,000 trees and reforest 1,000 hectares by 2025 through its intensified water security and climate change mitigation program called the Pasibol: Puno ng Pag-asa Program. Pasibol is a sustainability effort that focuses on resource efficiency, watershed protection, water quality, and occupational and health safety.