Calapan Ventures goes nationwide

MANILA, Philippines - Water utility Calapan Ventures Inc. (CVI) is aggressively expanding nationwide amid negotiation for partnership and mergers with similar water utilities including Maynilad Water Services Inc.

Amid partnership negotiation with several water utilities, CVI Chair Jolly Ting said the company remains steadfast in its resolve to make subsidiary Calapan Waterworks Corp. (CWWC) the water provider of choice for mid-size cities and municipalities.

“Our economy is experiencing robust growth but we cannot overlook the fact that 19 million Filipinos still do not have access to potable water. It is our mission to make Filipinos feel that progress by providing them clean and potable water,” said Ting.

Ting said they are out to replicate their success in water distribution in Calapan where it is credited for partly fuelling the city’s fast economic growth from a sleepy town in 1997 into a booming city.

CWWC also runs the Tabuk Water Corp. in Tabuk City, Kalinga and is continuing work on the Metro Agoo Waterworks Inc. (MAWI) in Agoo, La Union.

Ting said they are in talks with business groups and local governments in Visayas and Mindanao to expand their reach in areas not penetrated by major water utilities.

“We are deeply committed to providing the water needs of far-flung communities. We are open to partnership with towns and municipalities that need sanitary and clean water to perk up progress. Our 15-year of experience showed us that no meaningful progress can happen to medium-size town and municipalities that have remained without water,” Ting said.

As to the talks with the Maynilad of infrastructure conglomerate Metro Pacific Investments Corp., Ting said they are still in the “preliminary” stage.

“Amid talks with Maynilad and other water utilities, we remain focus on our expansion plans so long as there are communities without water,” he said.

News reports earlier quoted Maynilad President Victorico Vargas as saying that the water firm was in talks of prospective takeover of Calapan Water.