Lopez Group joins bid for P24.4-B water proj

MANILA, Philippines - The Lopez Group, through First Philippine Holdings Corp. (FPHC), is set to participate in the P24.4-billion Bulacan bulk water supply project, the second water Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) up for grabs.

FPHC, which earlier said wholly-owned subsidiary First Balfour is studying the bidding documents to determine its application for pre-qualification, said yesterday it will join the auction through a consortium.

“The board of directors of First Philippine Holdings Corp. approved the participation of FPHC, through a consortium, in the bidding for the Bulacan bulk water supplyp,” the Lopez-led holding firm said in a disclosure to the local bourse.

“This is subject to the finalization of definitive agreements with its potential partner(s), the conduct of due diligence and compliance with the bidding requirements, among others,” it added.

FPHC said it remains interested in infrastructure projects of such nature where it believes the company can provide value to both the project and its stakeholders.

The Bulacan bulk water project intends to supply treated bulk water to water districts in Bulacan province through the construction, operation, and maintenance of facilities for abstraction, treatment, and conveyance of treated bulk water supply; land acquisition and right-of-way access as well as social, resettlement, and environmental facilities cost.

Under the project, water districts may be clustered based on the most efficient technical design considering geographical location, terrain, demand, and availability of supply.

The Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) would make available 5.5 cubic meters per second from its water rights in Angat Reservoir for the project.

FPHC will be competing against potential bidders San Miguel Corp., Filinvest Development Corp., Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc., Manila Water Co. Inc., Maynilad Water Services Inc., and Megawide Construction Corp. for the project.

FPHC is the company behind the First Philippine Industrial Park that has more than 60 locators employing 35,000 to 40,000 workers in Batangas.

First Balfour, a fully-owned unit of FPHC, is one of the largest engineering and construction firms in the country.