MWSS gears up for 140th anniversary; Carriedo remembered

In celebration of its 140th year, the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS), the country’s chief agency on water and sewerage services in Metro Manila and nearby provinces, is gearing up for a series of activities from January to February aimed at forging unity and camaraderie among stakeholders, employees, partners, loyal customers and clients.

Dubbed “MWSS@140: From Carriedo to Balara—Ensuring Water Security,” the various activities formally kicked off on Jan. 12 with the opening of the Carriedo Cup and Sportsfest, a monthlong sports tournament among participating agencies located inside the MWSS compound, in various sports such as basketball, bowling, table tennis, chess, and even traditional Filipino games such as sungka.

The Carriedo Cup’s basketball tournament was opened by MWSS administrator Reynaldo Velasco.

In honor of philanthropist

The Carriedo Cup is in honor of Don Francisco Carriedo y Peredo, a retired captain-general and philanthropist from Santander, Spain, who invested his entire fortune of P10,000 in Manila as seed money for a public water supply system which paved the way for the establishment of the Carriedo Water System on Feb. 18, 1878.

The first Carriedo fountain in Manila has become a noteworthy symbol for MWSS with a replica of the water fountain now standing at the MWSS compound in Balara, Quezon City.