MONTALBAN, Rizal — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Wednesday called on dam operators to maximize their facilities to provide sufficient water and generate renewable energy.
During the impounding process ceremony at the Upper Wawa Dam, Marcos emphasized the importance of integrating renewable energy generation into dam operations. He urged dam operators to collaborate with the government in creating a more sustainable and energy-efficient country.
“I also call on our stakeholders, particularly those operating other dams nationwide, to maximize the use of your facilities by integrating other uses for the captured water, such as for the generation of renewable energy,” Marcos stated. “Let us work together in this endeavor to create a more sustainable and energy-efficient future for our nation.”
Need for Multi-Purpose Dams
Marcos highlighted the necessity of constructing more multi-purpose dams to meet the increasing demand for water. He outlined the diverse benefits of such infrastructure, including water supply for drinking, irrigation, power generation, flood control, and aquaculture.
“We need to build more multi-purpose dams to ensure water supply not only for drinking but also for irrigation, power generation, flood control, aquaculture, and hopefully other technologies that we may engage in the future,” he said.
Public-Private Partnership Venture
The P26.5-billion Public-Private Partnership (PPP) project, involving Prime Infrastructure Capital, Inc. and San Lorenzo Ruiz Builders and Developers Group, is expected to be fully operational by December 2025. Upon completion, it will increase the water supply within the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) service area from 80 million liters per day (MLD) to 438 MLD, potentially reaching 710 MLD in subsequent years.
“These 438 to 710 million liters per day translate to supporting the water supply needs of about 2.2 to 3.5 million Filipinos in the MWSS service area,” Marcos noted.
Project Progress
The ongoing project components include the construction of a pump station, access tunnel, and conveyance pipeline, with the MWSS reporting a 69.68% completion rate as of May 31, 2024.