Manila Water Co. Inc., the East Zone concessionaire that is now controlled by billionaire Enrique K. Razon Jr., became the first water company from the Philippines and from any developing country to be recognized as Water Company of the Year.
The said citation came from the Global Water Awards at the La Quinta De Jarama in Madrid, Spain during the 2022 Global Water Summit held recently.
Manila Water bested three other shortlisted internationally renowned water companies that included Aqualia, the third largest private water company in Europe and seventh in the world; Metito, the Middle East pioneer of desalination plants in Egypt; and leading French water company Saur with operations in 20 countries.
“We are truly humbled yet very proud and appreciative of this important recognition by industry peers from around the globe,” Manila Water president and CEO Jocot de Dios said.
“This is a testament to the excellent service the company is providing not only in the East Zone of Metro Manila and key markets all over the Philippines but also in our international operations.”
The Global Water Awards, established by Global Water Intelligence (GWI) in 2006, recognize the most important achievements in the international water industry within several categories, and reward those initiatives in the water, wastewater and desalination sectors that move the industry forward through improved operating performance, innovative technology adoption and sustainable financial models.
De Dios said the award becomes more meaningful for Manila Water as the company will celebrate its 25th year in August.
Manila Water started its operations in 1997 as the concessionaire of the state-run Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System to improve the water, wastewater and sanitation services of eastern Metro Manila and the province of Rizal.
Since then, Manila Water has addressed the water challenges in its concession by providing clean water and round-the-clock access to 7.3 million customers within its central distribution system. This was made possible through a combination of stakeholder and technical interventions which reduced non-revenue water from 63 percent to an average of 13 percent, unprecedented in the country’s water sector, as well as the implementation of the company’s flagship program.
The success of Manila Water in its concession is now being replicated as it expands its reach locally in metropolitan cities in Laguna, Boracay, Clark, Davao, among others. The same brand of service has been exported to the company’s operations in Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Image credits: www.manilawater.com