By Perfecto T. Raymundo, Jr.
QUEZON CITY — The Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) on Tuesday (June 25) made assurances that there are no anomalies in the agency in the light of calls by a consumer and commuter group for the resignation of MWSS Administrator Engr. Leonor “Bobby” C. Cleofas.
“We assure our countrymen that there are no anomalies here at the MWSS,” MWSS Spokesperson Engr. Patrick James B. Dizon said in an interview.
Engr. Dizon is also the Department Manager of the Water and Sewerage Management Department, Engineering and Technical Operations Group of the MWSS.
On the call for the resignation of MWSS Administration Cleofas due to the alleged anomaly in the PHP12-billion Kaliwa Dam project, Dizon said “as of today, we have not yet received their letter asking for the resignation of the MWSS Chief. As soon as we receive their letter, we would look at it.”
“The Kaliwa Dam project is now our long-term water source project which we are constructing for Metro Manila and nearby provinces,” he added.
“We loaned the project from the China Export Import Bank (CEIB) with stringent procedures. It’s a ‘hybrid’ because we are following procurement standards which are within the parameters set by the national government,” Dizon said.
He noted that the project started before the Covid-19 pandemic, “but because of the pandemic, by December 2027, we would be able to get the water from the 21-kilomter tunnel from Rizal province to Quezon province.”
“We are adopting the additional ten years of term extension of the revised concession agreement of up to 2047, which will be signed by the Department of Finance,” Dizon said.
The Maynilad already has the franchise agreement with the MWSS to supply water to Metro Manila and the nearby provinces.
“90 percent of the water being treated by the MWSS comes from Angat Dam. 9 percent from Laguna Lake. Medium-term water source projects are the water treatment plants,” Dizon said.
“La Mesa Dam is not being used as it is only as a ‘reserved’. The PHP12-billion Kaliwa Dam project is part of the long-term water source projects,” he added.
The Kaliwa Dam project is expected to be operational by end of December 2027 and will generate an additional 600 million liters of water per day (MLWD) to Metro Manila and the nearby provinces.
In the meantime, modular water facilities are being constructed in Imus and Molino in Cavite province.
Water treatment plants have been constructed in Calawis, and Putatan in Muntinlupa City – 2 facilities – which were already inaugurated by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos, Jr.
“After the completion of the Wawa Dam and Kaliwa Dam, that 90 percent will be reduced to 70 percent,” Dizon said.
