BusinessMirror

Boracay Water allots ₧1.1B for improvemen­t projects

- By Jonathan L. Mayuga @jonlmayuga

Boracay Water, a subsidiary of Manila Water Philippine Venture and a concession­aire of the Tourism Infrastruc­ture and Enterprise Zone authority, allotted P1.1 billion for its service improvemen­t plan.

The company, which recently celebrated its 14th anniversar­y, said it will use the amount to “further intensify” water and wastewater service in Boracay Island and ensure compliance with its service obligation­s.

“Our theme is a good reminder of our past performanc­es and our plans moving forward. We actually had a breakthrou­gh performanc­e in 2023.

This year, we need to be able to find ways on how we can achieve our goals on further enhancing our services. There will be challenges but these should not stop us from doing what needs to be done,” Bryan Magallanes, General Manager of Boracay Water said in a statement.

Since its establishm­ent in 2010, Boracay Water said it has achieved major feats in the provision of water and wastewater services in the island, contributi­ng to a sustainabl­e environmen­t and to the economic developmen­t of the island.

Through implementi­ng extensive pipelaying and pipe replacemen­t programs, Boracay Water achieved 100 percent water supply coverage and minimized water loss or Nonrevenue Water to 20 percent in 2023 from 37 percent.

“Water availabili­ty is now 24/7, with water quality compliant to the Department of Health’s Philippine National Standards for Drinking Water,” the company said.

Rehabilita­tion and upgrading of its Nabaoy and Caticlan pumping stations are also underway, to ensure that water supply will continue 24/7 even in the event of a natural calamity, such as typhoons and earthquake­s.

Boracay Water further expanded its reach and impact through the Tubig Para sa Barangay Program. This initiative extended clean and safe water access to low-income households in Sitio Balinghai in Barangay Yapak, benefiting over 40 households.

Recognizin­g the importance of wastewater treatment in preserving marine ecosystems, Boracay Water implemente­d upgrades in its Manocmanoc

Sewage Treatment Plant to comply with the Department of Environmen­t and Natural Resources’ Bio-nutrient Removal standards.

Under Project Monsoon, Boracay Water also started providing free sewer connection­s for all its residentia­l customers living within 60-100 meters from the nearest available sewer network, to intensify sanitation and wastewater management.

The company designed a holistic, multi-stakeholde­r environmen­tal program called “Boracay H2O” or the “Boracay Highland to Ocean.” The said program aims to protect the environmen­t by implementi­ng different initiative­s that will protect the water sources coming from the mountains and watershed of Nabaoy (highland) which flows through the Nabaoy River, down to the ocean reefs under the waters surroundin­g the island (ocean).

For 2018-2023, Boracay Water invested P2.7-M to fund projects under H2O.

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