Maynilad Water Services, Inc. (Maynilad) has named Ramon Alikpala as its next president and chief executive officer effective Jan. 1, 2027, succeeding Ramoncito Fernandez, who will step down at the end of December.
In a regulatory filing on Thursday, the water utility said Alikpala boasts a solid background in the water industry, having served as the executive director of the National Water Resources Board and the chair of the Board of Trustees of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System.
Apart from being an active member of the Stockholm-based Global Water Partnership’s International Steering Committee, Alikpala has also been actively engaging in regional, international, and non-government water sector organizations, holding lead roles in the Asean Working Group on Water Resources Management and the Philippine Water Partnership.
He has also provided advisory and consulting services to development institutions, including the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ), and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), on water security, climate resilience, institutional reform, utility performance, and water and sanitation projects.
In the same filing, Maynilad said its board of directors had acknowledged Fernandez’s retirement after a decade at the helm.
Before taking over Maynilad, Fernandez built his career in major industries, including telecommunications, tollways, infrastructure, and water.
‘Among the significant milestones achieved during Mr. Fernandez’s tenure were the execution of the Revised Concession Agreement, which placed the company’s operations and investment program on a renewed long-term footing; the grant of a 25-year legislative franchise… and [its] successful initial public offering,’ Maynilad said.
Maynilad went public in November last year, raising about P34.3 billion with the backing of 12 cornerstone investors.