By Joseph B.A. Marzan
Metro Iloilo Water District (MIWD) celebrated World Water Day 2021 on Monday, March 22, 2021 by kicking off a 9-day awareness event at Robinson’s Place Pavia, with the theme “Valuing Water”.
Also part of the celebration were local governments of the city and province of Iloilo, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Region 6 (DENR-6), the National Irrigation Administration-Region 6 (NIA-6), and MIWD’s private joint venture partners – Metro Pacific Iloilo Water (MPIW) and Metro Iloilo Bulk Water (MBIW).
The event features different aspects such as displays of major waterways of Iloilo, water-related projects of the DENR-6 and NIA-6, and information, education, and communication (IEC) materials on water conservation, cleanliness, and protection.
Two of the main highlights of the event are the “Bote Ko Palit Ko” trash exchange activity where bottles filled with plastic may be exchanged for a steel tumbler or a reusable bag, and the World Water Day 2021 Photo Art Contest where residents in the city and province of Iloilo submit their best photos based on the theme.
The winners were also awarded during the event launch, with Jesse B. Villanueva winning first place, followed by Ernesto J. Villanueva, Jr. and Eduardo Mallada Jr. winning second and third place, respectively.
MIWD General Manager Rolixto Jodieres Jr. told Daily Guardian that the value of water transcends importance through the self, the family, and the community.
“This is close to the family, and to our personal lives. We cannot live without water. We need to drink clean water, and we also need cleanliness in our home for our clothes, our plants, and our dishes, to name a few. In our community, we also have to take care of our water because it will also affect the flora and the fauna,” said Jodieres.
WATER IN ILOILO
Jodieres also discussed the state of water distribution in its coverage area, which includes Iloilo City and surrounding towns in Iloilo province.
Jodieres said they have provided water to only 22.61 percent of its coverage area, which he said they will work on with MPIW and MIBW to reach an allocation of 1 cubic meter per second or 86,400 cubic meters per day from NIA-6 through the Jalaur River Multipurpose Project (JRMP).
MIWD’s target in the 25-year joint ventures with MPIW and MIBW is to increase its coverage area to 89 percent, with the remaining 11 percent reserved for the areas they cannot service.
Their ongoing projects include total pipe replacement at Bakhaw area in Mandurriao, Iloilo City, which Jodieres said previously wasted 74 percent of water; and building up the allocation at the Uswag Subdivision and Lanit areas of Jaro district and the PHHC housing area in Mandurriao.
He said that they expect these projects, which cost a total P1 billion, to be completed within 2021.
MIWD has formed a joint venture with the Manny Pangilinan-led Metro Pacific Water Investments to improve water supply and distribution through joint venture firms MIBW and Metro Iloilo Water (MIW), respectively.
