Manila Water targets local and international expansion 

MANILA Water Co. Inc., is planning to expand its business in the Philippines and overseas, a company official said on Thursday.

The east zone water concessionaire eyes a deliberate approach for expansion both domestically and abroad, Roberto R. Locsin, chief administrative officer of Manila Water, told reporters in a media gathering.

Manila Water serves Metro Manila’s east zone network, which is made up of Marikina, Pasig, Makati, Taguig, Pateros, Mandaluyong, San Juan, portions of Quezon City and Manila, and several towns of nearby Rizal province.

For its expansion in the Philippines, the company plans to reach “highly dense populations,” Mr. Locsin.

“We’re optimistic but in the Philippines, we’d like to focus on highly dense populations. I’ll give you an example: Davao City. One of the fastest-growing cities in Davao is Panabo. We want to be present [there],” he said.

He said the company is in talks with local government units in line with its target expansion.

“The idea is to talk with water districts that are large enough where we can make the investment work,” he said.

Manila Water pursues local expansion initiatives through its subsidiary Manila Water Philippine Ventures, Inc.

For its overseas expansion, the company wants to have a presence in locations where International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) operates, Mr. Locsin said.

“Right now, we have a more robust view [of] our international expansion. In the past, I alluded to our company ICTSI and where they were present. So that kind of gives you an indication of where our interest lies,” he said.

For the company’s international expansion strategy, Manila Water is looking at concession-based businesses, build-operate-own and build-operate-transfer schemes, and public-private partnerships for bulk water supply, Mr. Locsin said.

“We have a very strong capability in the industry through our estate water business in the Philippines. Replicating that and consolidating that really gives us an opportunity to talk to a lot of people,” he said.

ICTSI and Manila Water are both chaired by Enrique K. Razon, Jr. Established in 1987, ICTSI operates 33 terminals in 20 countries across six continents. — Ashley Erika O. Jose