By Madelaine B. Miraflor Korea Water Resources Corp. (K-Water), the state water firm of South Korea, is looking to build a water academy in the Philippines as part of its partnership with Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS). This was according to K-Water president Hak Soo Lee, who recently visited the Philippines for some "briefing and exchanges" with MWSS and its business partners here. K- Water is the foreign partner of San Miguel Corp. (SMC) for the construction, operation, and maintenance of the 218-megawatt Bulacan Bulk Water Supply Project (BBWSP), a 24.4-billion project under Public-Private Partnership (PPP). In a statement, Lee said the company is honored to be partners with MWSS and that he looks forward to future joint projects with the agency, including the setting up of a water academy "to serve the industry. He said the Water Institute Academy could be a joint venture project among MWSS, K Water, and Asia Water Council (AWC). As of now, K-Water runs an academy, which has a roster of Filipino alumni including Manila Water President Ferdz de la Cruz. For his part, MWSS Administrator Reynaldo V. Velasco thanked K-Water through Lee for helping MWSS in the strengthening and retrofitting of Angat Dam as part of their commitment with SMC in operating Transmissions 1 and 2 turbines. The involvement of K-Water in the project, according to Velasco, is crucial to the government’s water security program, particularly on the possible occurrence of the Big One with Angat Dam supplying 96 percent water to Metro Manila and nearby provinces. Lee's visit to the Philippines came on the heels of the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with Velasco and other select officers and members of the AWC held in South Korea last month. The AWC consists of more than 100 members, organizations, representing more than 26 countries worldwide.