Singaporean company inks deal with Cebu water firm

CEBU, Philippines – Tong Shing Construction Limited, a listed company in Singapore, recently signed a partnership deal with Mactan Rock Industries Inc. (MRII), to form the new corporation, Sing-Phil Resources Inc.

Sing-Phil Resources Inc., aims to provide total water technology and infrastructure especially for bulk water requirements in the Philippines.

In an interview with Sing-Phil Resources Inc. (SPRI) president Chris Dinopol, he said that the formation of the new company will raise the bar in the water-technology and infrastructure services in the Philippines, specifically that some regions and urban centers in the country is facing a looming water supply shortage ahead.

The new company is targeting to offer its services to private concessionaires, initially in Metro Manila and in Cebu, so that water supply will no longer become a major problem for the residents as well as the investors.

Dinopol said SPRI is going to modernize the water technology service industry in the Philippines, by introducing first-world bulk water supply technology.

He said the Philippines has a lot of water resources and there is no need for it to worry about water supply, what it actually needs is proper technology and application.   

Tong Shing, an expert in the construction business in Singapore, will complement MRII's expertise in providing water technology and resources especially for the private bulk water concessionaires and private corporations.

Disruptions normally caused by repairing a water pipe will be a thing of the past, and companies will be relieved from the hassle.

"The Philippines need this kind of technology in order to eradicate the social problem of water shortage. We already have the technology and expertise. Water supply should not be a problem anymore," said Dinopol.

Tong Shing Construction owns 40 percent of the newly established SPRI, while MRII owns the majority of the company's stocks.

MRII is a Cebu-based company, which has been providing water technology solutions to over 350 industries around the country for the past 30 years.

It is the first company in Asia that introduced the desalination process, which will purify seawater into potable water.

MRII is strengthening its nationwide expansion plan, by introducing its water technology solutions to support the economic development in the Philippines.

Recently, economists mentioned that water infrastructure technology is one of the hottest investment opportunities in the Philippines especially for FDIs (Foreign Direct Investors).

Market analyst Wilfred Son Keng Po, the managing director and general manager for AIG Global Investment Corporation-Philippines branch earlier said that local companies should actively partner with foreign investors to invest into infrastructure projects, such as water, power, and transportation, among others. (FREEMAN)