Maynilad Water Services Inc. and state-owned Korea Water Resources Corp. (K-Water) have secured the coveted original proponent status (OPS) for a P14.8-billion water and wastewater project in New Clark City, which they plan to develop in partnership with the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA).
In a statement on Monday, the BCDA said it granted the two companies OPS on Aug. 28 following the evaluation and negotiation of their unsolicited proposal, which seeks to raise New Clark City’s water capacity to about 150 million liters per day (MLD) from the current 20 MLD to 30 MLD.
Securing OPS gives Maynilad and K-Water an advantage as the public-private partnership (PPP) project moves through the approval and competitive challenge process.
The OPS, which is valid for one year, gives the consortium the right to match the best competing offer during the Swiss Challenge. In case of a tie between the original proponent and a challenger, the PPP project will be awarded to the original proponent.
As the project advances, BCDA president and CEO Joshua Bingcang said the planned infrastructure would help New Clark City meet growing demand for water and wastewater services as more investments move into the Tarlac site.
Among the largest developments being planned for the site is the Pax Silica hub, a 1,619-hectare artificial intelligence and industrial enclave expected to accommodate facilities such as semiconductor and electronics factories.
‘Growth requires infrastructure that can keep up with it. Water and wastewater are fundamental to that growth; and we want New Clark City to have a system that is reliable, sustainable and built to meet the needs of the metropolis for the long term,’ Bingcang said.
‘We are building New Clark City for the decades ahead. That means putting in place the basic systems that will allow businesses to invest, communities to grow and the city to manage its resources responsibly,’ he added.
The OPS award follows Maynilad’s board approval of its participation in the nearly P15-billion joint venture, which the water concessionaire said was being considered for a 25-year term.