In a bid to ease the impact of the COVID-19 virus, East Zone concessionaire Manila Water constructed a molecular laboratory for SARS-CoV-2 wastewater surveillance.  Manila Water Laboratory Services Head Joy De Vera said the facility, built in coordination with government partners and local government units, will be completed before the end of March and will be ready to operate by June 2022. Manila Water affirms that the new facility will support the current efforts of the different local government units to address this pandemic. Operating the molecular laboratory also allows the company to provide services beyond its regular wastewater treatment and operations. 

Manila Water marked another milestone as it finished 2021 with 13.7B Php in capital expenditures (CapEx), beating the 10.7B Php record in 2020 despite the continued challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the highest CapEx record since the privatization of water service in the East Zone in 1997. Major components of the investment are the construction of new facilities and networks to expand service coverage, rehabilitation and improvement on existing assets and facilities for both water and wastewater, compliance projects relating to biological nutrient removal (BNR) for wastewater facilities, and the implementation of interim water source projects.

In light of severe weather-related calamities of recent years, Manila Water reiterates its undertaking towards integrating environmental protection and sustainability in its operations and services. The company’s sustainability team recognizes that “climate change has significantly altered every aspect of the water space – a reality that nations continue to address along with challenges concerning increasing population and density in highly urbanized areas.

Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte cited the importance of cleaning up esteros and creeks as Manila Water recently kicked off the Adopt-an-Estero program in the city as part of the tripartite agreement with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and two other local government units (LGUs), San Juan and Mandaluyong, to rehabilitate the San Juan River along with its tributaries.

East Zone concessionaire Manila Water bagged the Best Sustainability Bond in the corporate category at the recently held “The Asset Triple A Sustainable Capital Markets Country & Regional Awards 2020” virtual ceremony. Manila Water Company’s $US 500 M sustainability bond is the company’s debut bond issuance in the international capital markets. The issuance is the single largest sustainability bond issued by a listed private water utility in Asia and the first ASEAN sustainability bond by a corporate issuer out of the Philippines.