New tunnel improves Manila’s water flow

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. inaugurated a new component of Angat Dam, the Angat Water Transmission Improvement Project, which ensures a continuous water supply for Metro Manila and nearby provinces.

The project, called Tunnel No. 5, aims to give Filipinos dependable access to water. It strengthens the decades-old Umiray–Angat–Ipo–La Mesa system, the backbone of the water delivery from Angat Dam to Metro Manila and to Mega Manila.

“This is why the establishment of Tunnel No. 5 is not only important, it is essential,” Marcos said during the ceremony held at the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) compound in Norzagaray, Bulacan.

The President was joined by Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon, Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Raphael Lotilla, MWSS Administrator Leonor Cleofas, Maynilad Water Services Inc. president and CEO Ramoncito S. Fernandez, and Manila Water Company Inc. president and CEO Jose Victor Emmanuel A. de Dios.

Twenty million residents of Metro Manila, Bulacan, and parts of Cavite and Rizal rely on 90 percent of the water supplied by Angat Dam.

Enhanced dam flow

“These numbers show how important it is to keep the Angat system strong, reliable, and future-ready,” Marcos noted.

With the inauguration of Tunnel No. 5, the Angat Dam’s system transport capacity will increase from six billion to eight billion liters per day, as the water conveyance tunnel can carry over 1.6-billion liters per day.