MANILA WATER Co., Inc. said it obtained consent from indigenous people to build and operate the Wawa-Calawis Water Treatment plant on ancestral land in Antipolo.
The company signed a memorandum of agreement with the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) and Katutubong Pamayanan ng mga Dumagat/Remontado as part of the “Free, Prior, and Informed Consent” process to build the plant in the ancestral domain of the Antipolo Dumagat-Remontado.
The free, prior, and informed consent process in international human rights protects indigenous participation in decision-making for projects that affect them.
The partnership is the company’s first agreement with construct and operate provisions done with the NCIP, Manila Water said in a statement Monday.
“These provisions will open job opportunities for the IP community during the construction of the facilities in the area and even during operation of the plant,” the company said.
Through the deal, the east zone water concessionaire will build the first phase of the Calawis treatment plant and the second phase of the Wawa treatment plant.
The project will address water demand in Antipolo and Teresa in Rizal province.
Razon-controlled Prime Infrastructure Holdings Corp. recently strengthened its presence in the water market after its Trident Water Co. Holdings, Inc. acquired a controlling stake in Manila Water.
Trident Water now has 51% voting interest in Manila Water while its economic stake is at 25%. Ayala Corp.’s direct and indirect economic interest in the water concessionaire is at 38.6%, while its voting interest is at 31.6%.
Manila Water provides water and wastewater services in eastern Metro Manila, which includes Marikina, Pasig, Taguig, Makati, San Juan, Mandaluyong, parts of Quezon City and Manila, and Rizal province. — Jenina P. Ibañez