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Aboitiz proposes P2.8B bulk water project: Albee

Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson, Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez and Cosette Canilao, president and chief executive officer of Aboitiz InfraCapital, (l-r) meet at the Governor’s Office on Thursday, February 2.*Richard Malihan photo

Aboitiz InfraCapital is proposing a P2.8 billion bulk water supply joint venture project with the Negros Occidental and Bacolod City governments, Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said.

Cosette Canilao, president and chief executive officer of Aboitiz InfraCapital, met with Benitez and Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson at the provincial Capitol on Thursday, February 2, to discuss the plan.

The proposal is to put up the bulk water supply facility in Talisay City, which will also service the needs of Bacolod, Benitez said.

“If it will bring better service and cheaper water supply to residents,” Benitez said.

Canilao said right now the water that’s being used mostly comes from deep wells and they are already saturated.

The drying up of the wells can cause degradation of the service, Canilao said.

Water sourced from rivers would be the ideal option, which is what they are planning to do for Bacolod and Talisay, she said.

Under the bulk water system, they will get the surface water from a river that will be transferred through piping to a treatment facility. The treated water will then go to the water districts for distribution to consumers, Canilao said.

If the project is awarded this year, they will need at least two years for the construction of the facility, she added.

Lacson said other firms have also expressed interest in setting up bulk water projects in Bacolod but so far only Aboitiz has showed up.

In the future other bulk water projects can also be established in other parts of the province, Lacson said.

Under the joint venture the provincial government will assist in availing of road rights of way and water permits that will entail minimal fund allocation, he added.*

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