It has been designed to evolve as the population continues to grow.
On Friday, January 16, the new Aglipay Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) was officially opened in Mandaluyong, which will serve not only the city, but also nearby Quezon City and San Juan that spans a total of 2,115 hectares.
This facility, managed by water concessionaire Manila Water, has a capcity of 60 million liters per day and will benefit more than 650,000 residents.
Built at cost of PHP3.93 billion, it has been designed to expand to 120 million liters per day as the population in the area grows.
Present during the inauguration of the site was President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., who noted, “Beyond the machinery, fascinating as it is, what really matters is the result, and that is cleaner water returned to the environment and reduced exposure of our people to the hazards of untreated sewage.”
“This is how a carefully planned and thoroughly executed infrastructure directly improves the lives of our people,” he furthered.
Marcos also said that with the new wastewater treatment facility, “more liters of safe water is available for public consumption and more rivers and seas are preserved for future generations,” adding that wastewater treatment is essential to public health, environmental protection, and sustainable development.
The Chief Executive also also revealed that more similar facilities are to built in Metro Manila in the future, with five already under construction.
Under the Revised Concession Agreement and Republic Act Nos. 11600 and 11601, the government aims to connect 76 percent of households in Metro Manila, Cavite, and Rizal to sewerage systems by 2047, with the rest covered by proper sanitation services.
Lastly, the President emphasized that infrastructure alone is not enough. He called on government agencies, the private sector, and the public to practice responsible waste disposal and maintain clean surroundings.
“Ang kalinisan ng ating kapaligiran ay salamin ng ating disiplina bilang isang bayan,” he said.
