The International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC) named Manila Water as Client of the Year at the annual FIDIC Contract User’s Conference and Awards held on 29 November 2023 at the Royal Hotel in London, England.

The award was given to Manila Water in recognition of its successful utilization of FIDIC contracts on multiple projects that redound to improved services and operational efficiency. This is Manila Water’s second Client of the Year award after it was first recognized by FIDIC in 2021.

“The judges were impressed by the fact that Manila Water is a keen promoter of FIDIC Contracts on multiple projects for a long time to deliver a range of schemes that have improved the lives of thousands of people. FIDIC contracts helped the company to provide a comprehensive set of conditions that outline the responsibilities, rights, and obligations of each party, as well as mechanisms for dealing with issues like variations in work, delays, payment and even disputes”, Manila Water Commercial and Contracts Management Head, Rene Santos said.

Manila Water’s other entry, the Calawis 80-Million-Liters-Per-Day Water Treatment Plant Project, was also cited as ‘Highly Commended’ for the Project of the Year Award. This project, according to FIDIC, has implemented a framework that fairly balances the rights and obligations of all parties involved in a construction project, including the employer or client, the contractor and the engineer or consultant.

“Effective collaboration with various project stakeholders from the local government units, national government agencies, communities, contractors, and consultants, has resulted to excellent service to our customers, and therefore, has become a crucial factor in contributing to nation-building. These recognitions from FIDIC absolutely inspire the men and women of Manila Water to further deliver our capital expenditure programs efficiently from the ground up,” Bernadette Del Rosario, Manila Water Project Stakeholder Engagement Head said.

FIDIC is the representative body for national associations of consulting engineers. It represents over one million engineering professionals and 40,000 firms in about 100 countries. The FIDIC Contract Users’ Awards showcase excellence and benchmark good practices in the use of FIDIC contract forms for project delivery and international collaborations by organizations.