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Razon-led Prime Infrastructure Capital, Inc. or Prime Infra (formerly Prime Infrastructure Holdings, Inc.) through its unit WawaJVCo, Inc. achieves a milestone with the completion of the Tayabasan  Weir, which is phase 1 of the Wawa Bulk Water Supply Project, a critical water infrastructure flagship project of the government, which aims to provide ample water supply to Metro Manila and the province of Rizal.

The Tayabasan Weir has filled up its reservoir early June signaling its completion ahead of its schedule in October 2022. The Tayabasan Weir is a 25-meter high roller compacted concrete structure designed to deliver 80 million liters per day (MLD). Tayabasan is comprised of three parts: the weir where water is impounded, the pumping station that brings the bulk water to the water treatment plant, and the buried water pipeline where the bulk water passes to get to the water treatment plant.

Phase 2 dubbed as Upper Wawa Dam will be completed in 2025 and will eventually deliver at least 518 MLD to offtaker Manila Water Company and Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System.

“True to our fast and lean management approach, Prime Infra through WawaJVCo has delivered a critical water infrastructure that supports the country’s infrastructure development agenda with speed – as you all know, this phase of the project was finished ahead of schedule in the middle of a pandemic,” said Prime Infra President and CEO Guillaume Lucci.

“Even at this fast pace, we were able to secure the necessary permits and most importantly, obtain the seal of approval for the social aspects of the project further demonstrating our capability to deliver not only critical water infrastructure but also provide economic upliftment of local communities and environmental conservation, for instance we are developing the master plan to make Wawa an eco-tourism site that will provide long-term positive impact to them,” Mr. Lucci added.

In March this year, WawaJVCo has obtained the approval of the Dumagat/Remontado Indigenous People of Antipolo and Rodriguez for the second phase of the Wawa Bulk Water Supply Project, the Upper Wawa Dam. This is the fourth and final Memorandum of Agreement in the Free and Prior, Informed Consent (FPIC) Process for the project. The event was supervised by the FPIC Team and attended by representatives of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) offices. Subsequently, WawaJVCo received the Certificate Precondition (CP) from the NCIP, certifying that the FPIC Process has been complied with by the company, and the communities have given its consent to the project.

WawaJVCo also secured the necessary permits from various government agencies, including the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Environmental Management Bureau, the Protected Area Management Board of the Upper Marikina River Basin Protected Landscape, and the concerned local government units.