BCDA bidding out water supply in New Clark City

MANILA, Philippines — The Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) is planning to bid out the contract for a water supply project in New Clark City in Tarlac after its joint venture partner withdrew from the project.

“We are going to bid it out, the water (project in New Clark City),” BCDA chairperson Delfin Lorenzana told reporters.

BCDA’s joint venture partner, the consortium led by the Villar Group’s PrimeWater Infrastructure Corp., withdrew from the project.

“Their reason is that there aren’t a lot of clients,” Lorenzana said, noting New Clark City is sparsely populated.

In December 2018, the BCDA signed the joint venture agreement with the consortium composed of PrimeWater Infrastructure Corp., Prime Asset Ventures Inc., MGS Construction Inc. and Israel’s TAHAL Group for the water supply project after the group submitted the lowest bid for water and wastewater services in the New Clark City at P9.45 per cubic meter.

Lorenzana said the Filinvest Group was appointed to take over in the interim.

Filinvest Land Inc. is developing the Filinvest Innovation Park in New Clark City.

With water in New Clark City being sourced underground, Lorenzana said the BCDA wants to develop a surface water project.

“We are still on the drawing board on where we will develop this,” he said.

He said the BCDA expects to attract more locators in the New Clark City after the area is developed through the construction of roads and availability of power and water supply.

“We have developed around 15 percent (of the area),” he said.

The BCDA is positioning the 9,450-hectare New Clark City as an investment and tourism hub to support the current administration’s goal of establishing livable and sustainable communities and generating quality jobs.