ILOILO CITY — Metro Pacific Iloilo Water has activated a comprehensive El Niño mitigation strategy, deploying more than 20 water tankers, modular desalination units, and 24‑hour monitoring teams as PAGASA forecasts a 79 percent probability of El Niño emerging between June and August 2026. Chief Operating Officer Angelo David C. Berba said the utility is bracing for the worst‑case scenario. “We are working to keep water flowing even if conditions continue to worsen. Our preparation is not seasonal—it is structural,” he said.
The parent company, Metro Pacific Water, has allocated ₱3.81 billion in capital expenditures for 2026, funding major infrastructure projects in Iloilo City and Dumaguete City. The program covers new pipelines, replacement of aging pipes, and 86,073 new water service connections. “We recognize that demand continues to grow when traditional water sources are becoming increasingly strained. These investments are being made today so our customers will not have to bear the burden of shortages tomorrow,” MPW president and CEO Andrew Pangilinan said.
Two Modular Plants, a 65‑MLD Giant, and a Citywide Pipe Replacement
Two modular desalination systems are providing near‑term relief. A seawater reverse‑osmosis unit has been deployed in Barangay Nabitasan, La Paz, and a brackish‑water reverse‑osmosis unit is operating at Ateneo de Iloilo. Together they are expected to deliver an additional 2 million liters per day as early as the second quarter.
The centerpiece of MPIW’s strategy remains the 65‑million‑liter‑per‑day desalination plant in Barangay Ingore. Once operational—now targeted for 2028—the plant will more than double service coverage from 28 percent to 60 percent. In the interim, MPIW’s pipe‑laying rehabilitation and expansion program is projected to recover up to 10 MLD through non‑revenue water reduction, with several components targeted for completion by mid‑2026.
Water Security as Iloilo’s Property‑Value Foundation
Iloilo’s property market now leads all regional hubs outside Metro Manila. Colliers Philippines reported a 96 percent house‑and‑lot take‑up rate in the first quarter of 2026. The city has overtaken Metro Cebu in total occupied office transactions. Megaworld’s Iloilo Business Park alone generates an estimated 20,000 direct jobs across 13 office towers.
Every new condominium or office building that comes online adds to the load on a water system the utility is now racing to reinforce. Mayor Raisa Treñas has set a target of 90 percent reliable water access citywide by 2028. MPIW’s mitigation plan—the tankers, the modular plants, the pipeline replacement, and the desalination giant—is the operational bridge between that target and the El Niño months ahead.
