Aboitiz InfraCapital Inc. (AIC), the infrastructure arm of the Aboitiz Group, is underscoring the need for a unified effort among the government, private sector, academe and civil society to address Cebu’s growing water supply and demand challenges.
As Cebu’s economy continues to grow, AIC emphasized the importance of enhancing water availability and reliability through sustainable infrastructure solutions.
“Solving Cebu’s water challenges cannot be done overnight. This requires a multi-pronged approach involving both medium- and long-term solutions,” said AIC vice president and head of Water, Eduardo “Dudes” V. Aboitiz, in his plenary speech during the recent Cebu Water Summit held at Bai Hotel, Mandaue City, Cebu.
PPP highlighted
During the summit, AIC Water highlighted public-private partnerships (PPPs) as an effective model for developing large-scale infrastructure projects.
PPPs, which involve collaboration between government and private entities to finance, design, construct, operate and maintain infrastructure, are seen as key to addressing the water needs of rapidly growing regions like Cebu.
AIC Water explained that PPPs combine the innovation and investment from the private sector, and accountability and oversight from the government.
The company also expressed its openness to explore potential partnerships with local governments in Cebu to address the water situation.
One clear choice
“We Cebuanos, in the government, academe, and private sector, have one clear choice: Work together to secure our water future. Because when we do, we have a greater chance of succeeding,” Aboitiz said.
According to AIC Water, an example of its successful PPP is Apo Agua — a partnership between AIC Water and the Davao City Water District (DCWD). Since beginning commercial operations in February 2024, Apo Agua now supplies 70 percent of DCWD’s water requirements, resulting in 24/7 water availability for 96 percent of customers, and improving the quality of life for Davaoeños.
AIC Water said it envisions replicating the success of Apo Agua in Cebu in the future.
Currently, AIC Water’s presence in Cebu comprises end-to-end water and wastewater services serving MEZ2 Estate in Lapu-Lapu City and West Cebu Estate in Balamban. West Cebu Water has a daily water production capacity of 4.7 MLD which covers the water requirements of the West Cebu Estate, serving the growth needs of over 50 locators and their 26,000 employees across a 600-hectare estate footprint.
Recently, the 5MLD MEZ2 Desal facility in Lapu-Lapu provides the water requirements of MEZ2 Estate with 12,000 employees through a Bulk Water Supply Agreement.
Desalination plant
The desalination plant also delivers 24/7 potable water access to the Mactan-Cebu International Airport, the Philippines’ largest international aviation hub outside Metro Manila with over 10 million passengers yearly.
The facility features the use of emerging innovations for the pretreatment of the brackish water reverse osmosis plant and real-time monitoring system, providing game-changing solutions built for long-term growth.
