The Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) is awaiting for the approval of the second phase of the Kaliwa Dam Project as the requirements for it to start have already been submitted to the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA), a company executive has disclosed.
***MWSS Division Manager Engr. Patrick James Dizon gives updates on the status of the Kaliwa Dam Project at a press briefing in Quezon City on June 1, 2023. (Photo by Nicole Magmanlac / MANILA BULLETIN)***
MWSS Division Manager Engr. Patrick James Dizon said the requirements were sent for NEDA’s approval in the latter part of 2022.
“Actually last year, last quarter, we already submitted the additional requirements to NEDA and we are just waiting for the approval,” Dizon said at a press briefing in Quezon City on Thursday, June 1.
When asked when the approval might happen, Dizon revealed that there’s still no date about it although he added that the MWSS continues to follow up on the matter.
He admitted that the approval “may take a while” since Phase 1 was heavily criticized by environmental groups, indigenous people (IP), and other stakeholders.
According to Dizon, the Phase 1 of Kaliwa Dam can store up to 600 million liters per day (MLD) of water. The MWSS will then divert the water through a tunnel with a capacity of 2.4K MLD.
However, Dizon noted that Phase 1 is relatively small so the MWSS accepted an unsolicited proposal that will store and produce a total of 3.8K MLD for Phases 1 and 2.
A local private company is the proponent of the unsolicited proposal for Phase 2 of the Kaliwa Dam Project, Dizon added.
Dizon stressed that more or less 17 million customers of both Maynilad and Manila Water will benefit from the Kaliwa Dam project once it starts operating.
The Kaliwa Dam project is a 63-meter-high reservoir that will hold an initial discharge capacity of 600 MLD of water which are intended to supply customers in Metro Manila as well as nearby areas that only depend on two dams in Bulacan. (Nicole Magmanlac)