By Joey Pavia / Correspondent
Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan said he is interested in supplying water in the Central and Southern portions of Pampanga, including at the two major cities of the province.
Panglinan disclosed that the Metropac Water Investments Corp. (MWIC), a subsidiary of the MPIC, recently completed a pilot project in cooperation with the Apalit municipal government to look into tapping the water of the Pampanga River as a major source of potable water.
“Tapos na ’yan [The pilot project is done]. We are looking into supplying water in Angeles City and the city of San Fernando, but it’s quite far from the water-treatment plant in Apalit,” said Pangilinan in a recent news conference at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel Manila here.
Pangilinan said the planned treatment plant in his hometown will initially supply water in Apalit and nearby areas, including San Simon, Macabebe, Masantol and Minalin.
San Fernando City, Pampanga’s capital city, is 22 kilometers north of Apalit. Angeles City, the province’s only highly urbanized city, is adjacent to the city of San Fernando. Both cities are in the central portion of Pampanga, and Angeles City is in the northern portion of Pampanga’s capital city.
The MWIC provides water and wastewater services for the West Zone of the Greater Manila Area, including portions of Manila, Quezon City, Makati City, Pasay City and key cities and towns in Cavite. It made the pilot project at no cost to the municipal government, led by Apalit Mayor Oscar Tetangco Jr.
Last year Pangilinan, chairman of Manila Electric Co., took over the Pampanga Electric Cooperative II (Pelco II). His local partner is Coms-Tech, led by its president and CEO Dennis Anthony Uy.
Pelco II supplies electricity to Mabalacat City and the towns of Guagua, Bacolor, Santa Rita, Lubao and Porac. Uy, said they pumped in at least P1.2 billion for the takeover of Pelco II.