ILOILO City – The Iloilo City Government has officially granted Aboitiz InfraCapital (AIC), Inc. on Thursday, May 15, the Original Proponent Status (OPS) for its unsolicited proposal Iloilo Bulk Water Supply Project aimed at providing long-term and sustainable water supply to Iloilo City and neighboring towns.
The conferment transpired following a successful negotiation, which took almost four months, between the city government and AIC for the terms and condition for the project.
“Hopefully with this unsolicited proposal with Aboitiz, we will ensure that there will not only be available water for Iloilo City, there will be redundancy in the supply of water. I would like to thank Aboitiz Group of Companies for having faith and confidence in the making of this very, very significant proposals for Iloilo City,” said Mayor Jerry P. Treñas.
The local chief executive represented the city government in the signing and handing over of OPS with AIC represented by its Vice President and Head of Water Business Eduardo V. Aboitiz, and President and COE Cosette V. Canilao.
“This is one legacy that this Treñas-Ganzon administration will leave our constituents in Iloilo City. Gapasalamat gid ko sa bulig sang aton City Council sa idalom ni Vice Mayor Jeffrey Ganzon. Ini para guid sa aton syudad,” the city mayor stressed.
Following the conferment of the OPS, Atty. David Abraham Garcia, head of Iloilo City’s Public-Private Partnership Office, stated that the proposal will be forwarded for deliberation to the Local Development Council (LDC) and the Sangguniang Panlungsod. Upon approval, the project will proceed to a Swiss Challenge, a process which allows other interested parties to submit competing bids.
With this project, Mayor Treñas is optimistic that Iloilo City will not only have a sufficient water supply but also a redundant system to ensure stability and reliability.
He highlighted the city’s rapid growth, noting the increasing demand for water as more hotels, condominiums, Business Process Outsourcing, and office buildings emerge.
Additionally, he emphasized several major infrastructure projects that Iloilo City is anticipating, including the soon-to-be completed redevelopment of its two largest markets — the Iloilo Central and Terminal Markets — as well as other district public markets, the Iloilo City Solid Waste Management Facility, a reclamation project, and the improvement of the city slaughterhouse.
“Due to our city’s rapid development, we will continue to require additional water supply,” the mayor stated, as he also acknowledged the Metro Pacific Iloilo Water and its newly inaugurated desalination plant as another key contributors to the city’s water security.
“I hope this proposal will be successful and the endorsement from the City Council will be made soon so that when the Treñas-Ganzon administration leaves, we have made sure that this is going to be a continuing legacy that we will leave for our beloved Ilonggos,” the city mayor added.
For Canilao, this project goes beyond infrastructure — it is a testament to strong and meaningful partnerships.
“Isa ini ka crucial nga first step sa handum namon nga long-term collaboration between Aboitiz InfraCapital kag sang komunidad sang mga Ilonggo. Ginalantaw namon nga ini nga proyekto magahatag sang daku nga impact — sa pagpahamtang sang safe, reliable, kag sustainable nga suplay sang tubig, kag sa pagbulig sa Iloilo nga mangin mas resilient, progressive, kag future-ready nga syudad,” she said.
Aboitiz, on his part, underscored that the partnership between Aboitiz InfraCapital and the Iloilo City Government highlights the benefits of public-private collaboration in helping solve the country’s infrastructure gaps, such as providing safe and reliable water.
“What we are building together here is not only a bulk water supply project — it’s a long-term commitment to secure, safe, and reliable water supply for the people of Iloilo City and Metro Iloilo,” he stressed./PN
