Phl secures ₱14.98-B WB funding for water projects

The Philippines has secured €212.7 million, or approximately ₱14.98 billion, in World Bank financing to improve water supply, sanitation, and water security in underserved communities.

The Department of Finance (DOF) said the funding from the World Bank’s International Bank for Reconstruction and Development will support the Accelerated Water and Sanitation Project in Selected Areas (AWSPSA), to be implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

Finance Secretary Frederick Go said the project aims to address water shortages and sanitation challenges in poor and underserved areas while improving the delivery of water supply and sanitation services.

Planned infrastructure includes a bulk water supply system, a septage treatment plant and water, sanitation and hygiene facilities in Bohol, Siargao and Sulu.

The project is the first phase of the World Bank’s Multiphase Programmatic Approach Water Security and Resilience in East Asia and the Pacific. The broader program seeks to expand investments in water security and strengthen communities’ resilience to climate-related water risks.

Go said the financing would help the government improve access to clean water, upgrade infrastructure, and pursue reforms aimed at delivering more reliable services.

The funding also supports the objectives of the Philippine Development Plan 2023–2028 and the administration’s efforts to prepare for the anticipated Super El Niño, which could intensify water shortages in vulnerable areas. TRACY CABRERA