Manila Water’s Upper Wawa project makes global shortlist for water award

MANILA, Philippines — Enrique Razon Jr., the country’s top billionaire, is seeing his P26-billion Upper Wawa Dam project making a name at the Global Water Awards (GWA).

The project has been shortlisted for the water project of the year category at the GWA, which recognizes infrastructure that deliver transformative impact and long-term sustainability in addressing challenges in the sector.

East Zone concessionaire Manila Water Co. Inc., which operates the project, said the global nod highlights the Philippines’ expertise in large-scale water infrastructure and climate-resilient development.

“Being shortlisted signals that a project is among the world’s most significant water initiatives, evaluated by an international panel of experts against the highest global benchmarks,” the company said.

The Upper Wawa Dam is the centerpiece of the Wawa Bulk Water Supply Project, which is designed to augment water supply in the eastern portion of Metro Manila and Rizal.

The project is the largest water supply dam built in the Philippines in over five decades, capable of delivering up to 710 million liters of water per day.

Commissioned last December, the dam is expected to permanently boost water supply for around 3.5 million people, reducing reliance on a single water source.

“Shortlisting at the GWA places the Upper Wawa Dam alongside leading projects from around the world that exemplify innovation, scale and societal impact,” Manila Water said.

“It underscores how the Philippines is advancing solutions that move beyond temporary fixes toward long-term water security, flood protection and climate adaptation for rapidly growing and climate exposed urban centers,” it added.

The Upper Wawa Dam was developed under a tripartite agreement among Manila Water, WawaJVCo. Inc. and the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System.

Manila Water earlier sealed a P37.8-billion deal with another Razon-led company, Prime Infra, for the takeover of WawaJVCo, the previous operator of the Wawa Bulk Water Supply Project.