More than one million Davaoeños are now benefiting from improved water security, better public health outcomes, and local economic growth thanks to the successful implementation of the Davao City Bulk Water Supply Project (DCBWSP), a world-class and award-winning bulk water project between Aboitiz InfraCapital (AIC), Inc. and the Davao City Water District (DCWD).
As Iloilo City embarks on a similar bulk water public-private partnership (PPP), the experience of Davao City offers a clear and compelling glimpse of what is to come.
Together with DCWD, Aboitiz InfraCapital water subsidiary Apo Agua Infrastructura, Inc., jointly operates the DCBWSP – the country’s largest bulk water supply facility.
Since February 2024, the DCBWSP has been delivering 300 million liters per day (MLD) of clean and potable water to over 1 million customers through a surface water source–the Panigan and Tamugan Rivers–reducing dependence on groundwater while delivering wide-ranging socio-economic dividends.
Further, DCWD has since tripled its new water service connections: from 8,600 in 2022, to over 21,000 today– 14,000 more households with potable water from their taps.
In Davao City, the DCBWSP has contributed to:
- An increase in customers with 24/7 water supply (96 coverage%, from a previous 77%)
- PHP 15.5 billion investment in Davao City
- PHP 1.07 billion gross revenue and contributions to Davao’s Gross Regional Domestic Product
- 4,000+ jobs generated during construction.
- 500+ jobs generated during operations
- PHP 188 million in government tax revenues in 2024 alone.
“We have seen firsthand how infrastructure—when done right—can transform lives. Apo Agua is both a critical water project and a vital growth enabler for Davao City, powering progress, health, and inclusive prosperity. That’s the same kind of impact we’re working to bring to Iloilo,” said AIC President and Chief Executive Officer Cosette V. Canilao.
Project Blue
At the heart of Davao’s story is Project Blue, Apo Agua’s collaboration with DCWD and Aboitiz Foundation that creates a positive impact for Apo Agua’s host communities. In 2024, 134 pipeline rolls were donated to enhance the water supply system in Barangay Tamugan – home to one of the DCBWSP’s main water sources, the Tamugan River.
Through Project Blue, over 1,070 households Barangay Tamugan’s Sitio Sto. Niño, Sitio San Roque, Lower A, and Tamugan Centro now enjoy piped water access.
Project Blue exemplifies Apo Agua’s shared value with its partners: that the same infrastructure that secures a city’s water also uplifts source communities with health, dignity, and opportunity. By tying bulk water supply to last‑mile access, Project Blue reduces waterborne disease risk, frees up time (especially for women and children) previously spent hauling water, and stimulates micro‑enterprise and local livelihoods.
Iloilo Bulk Water Supply Project: A Forward-Looking Partnership
With a total investment amounting to P5 billion, the Iloilo Bulk Water Supply Project proposes diverting water from a raw source through a water intake facility. Following a thorough treatment process, the treated water will be delivered to different city off-takers.
This project, with a capacity of 86 MLD of potable bulk water, directly enables a wide range of socio-economic drivers for the city, including a reliable and consistent water supply, improved water quality, and support for local and economic growth.
With the DCBWSP serving as a working model, the Iloilo Bulk Water Supply Project is expected to unlock similar tangible benefits as AIC works to replace Davao’s success in Iloilo City.
AIC continues to work with stakeholders to further lower production costs, ensuring delivery that is impactful, rates are reasonable for consumers, and beneficial to Iloilo City’s development as a whole.
