CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (PIA) — The PHIVIDEC Industrial Authority began implementing its bulk water supply project, which was seen as significantly increasing investor interest in the PHIVIDEC Industrial Estate in Misamis Oriental (PIE-MO).
For this project, PHIVIDEC recently entered into a joint venture agreement with Equi-Parco, primarily to address the growing water demands within the estate.
Joseph Donato J. Bernedo, PHIVIDEC administrator, and Glenn Willy T. Gerona, Equi-Parco representative, signed an agreement outlining the plan to supply PHIVIDEC with a total of 120 million liters per day (MLD) over a 25-year period.
This additional water supply is expected to benefit the existing 59 locators and over 200 service providers within the 3,000-hectare estate, which covers 13 barangays in Tagoloan and Villanueva municipalities in Misamis Oriental.
Bernedo said this project represents a crucial step in enhancing PHIVIDEC’s infrastructure and overall appeal to potential investors. He emphasized the importance of providing sufficient utilities and support systems for locators, highlighting water as a key component alongside power supply.
Bernedo expressed confidence that the bulk water project will significantly increase PHIVIDEC’s attractiveness, particularly to foreign investors, because of the improved utilities offered within the estate.
“Once we start marketing PHIVIDEC, we can say that we have a bulk water system, I am sure that the possibilities to be able to attract foreign investors will increase because we can see the level of utilities increasing. So, we are very hopeful that this will have a big effect on attracting our investors,” he said.
The project’s initial phase will prioritize servicing locators closest to existing roads. However, Bernedo assured that plans are underway to create a distribution network that will eventually reach 80% of locators within the estate. Construction of water lines will occur concurrently with other project components to ensure timely connection for a wider range of locators.
Once the water demands within the estate and surrounding areas are satisfied, PHIVIDEC anticipates that this project will eventually supply water to neighboring municipalities, including nearby Cagayan de Oro City barangays.
PHIVIDEC’s locators welcomed the bulk water project’s launch. Juan Eugenio Roxas, president of the PIE-MO Industries Association, Inc., expressed the locators’ gratitude to PHIVIDEC for continually meeting their needs. With an international port nearby, reliable power supply, and now the addition of bulk water, he said the locators are indeed fortunate.
He further praised Bernedo’s administration as the most business-friendly in PHIVIDEC’s history.
“On behalf of the locators, kami ay nagpapasalamat sa PHIVIDEC, because here we have everything. We could only wish na patuloy na dumami ang locators ng PHIVIDEC,” he said. (APB/PIA-10)
