8 firms eye NCWS Kaliwa Dam project

MANILA, Philippines - Eight groups have expressed interest to implement the P18.72-billion New Centennial Water Source (NCWS)-Kaliwa Dam Project rolled out by the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) program.

The PPP Center said groups that bought prequalification documents for the project are led by Prime Metroline Holdings Inc., San Lorenzo Ruiz Builders and Developers Group, Obrascon Huarte Lain S.A., Abengoa Abeinsa Business Development, DM Consunji Inc., San Miguel Holdings Corp., Filinvest Development Corp., and Megawide Construction Corp..

The NCWS project is a 25-year build-operate-transfer (BOT) contract for the financing, design and construction of a dam with a capacity of 600 million liters per day (MLD) as well as a water conveyance system capable of handling a volume of 2, 400 MLD.

The project also includes the construction of intake facilities.

The Kaliwa dam is expected to be completed by 2020 and would serve as a secondary water source for Metro Manila once developed.

At present, Metro Manila sources 97 percent of its water requirements from the Angat reservoir in Bulacan.

Aside from the NCWS project, the MWSS is also auctioning this year the contract for the P24.4-billion Bulacan Bulk Water Supply project also under the PPP scheme.

Bidders for the NCWS project have until Nov. 17 to submit their prequalification documents. Once prospective bidders are pre-qualified, MWSS would invite them to submit their technical and financial bids.

The project would be procured through a competitive public bidding in accordance with Republic Act 7718 also known as the Revised Build-Operate-and-Transfer (BOT) law.