World water leaders cite PH team in SoKor event

World water leaders cited the 20-year-old successful public-private partnership (PPP) between the Philippines’ Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) and its concessionaires, Manila Water, Maynilad Water and SMC’s Luzon Clean Water Corp. at the 1st Asia Water Week and Korea International Water Week held last week in Gyeongju, South Korea.

The three-day event brought together some 2,500 water stakeholders who discussed ways to establish lasting partnerships needed to resolve water issues worldwide.

MWSS administrator Reynaldo Velasco, Manila Water president Ferdinand dela Cruz and Maynilad president Ramoncito Fernandez presented “Water security under the Duterte administration and the successful PPP in the Philippines” during the twin water conferences in Korea.

“The Korea water conferences was an important event to promote the country’s effective, participative and successful PPP legal framework started in 1997 by President Fidel V. Ramos through a concession agreement in the water industry,” Velasco said.

Dela Cruz stressed that “water PPP can work in many places provided the regulatory framework is clear, transparent and consistent … Water PPP has worked in Metro Manila. It has worked in other parts of the Philippines. It can work in many more places in Asia.”

For his part, Fernandez said “our partnership with the MWSS has benefited millions of Filipinos, spurred economic activity with our investments and generated thousands of jobs.”