Bacolod and Murcia secure safe water with P1.5B treatment project completion
Bacolod City and the Municipality of Murcia now have improved access to safe, affordable drinking water. Bacolod Bulk Water Inc. (BBWI), part of the Tubig Pilipinas Group, has completed key water treatment facilities under a P1.5 billion project. The system serves around 100,000 households—roughly half a million residents—with a daily capacity of up to 75 million litres.
The project began in 2015 when the Tubig Pilipinas consortium won the competitive bid for the Bacolod Bulk Water Supply Project. Phase 1, the Ngalan Water Treatment Plant, was commissioned in October 2017, initially supplying 10 million litres per day at a cost of P8.85 per cubic metre.
Phase 2, the Sum-Ag Water Treatment Plant, was finished in January 2025. A 12.5-kilometre Murcia-Bacolod transmission pipeline followed in March 2025, now delivering 15 million litres daily. Phase 3, the Caliban River Intake, was completed in October 2025, adding another 20 million litres of capacity. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. inspected the Sum-Ag plant and Caliban facility in Barangay Abo-Abo, Murcia, on January 19, 2026. The project was funded through shareholders’ equity and a long-term loan from the Development Bank of the Philippines. The Bacolod-Murcia Bulk Water System aims to reduce reliance on unsustainable groundwater sources. It also strengthens water security, public health, and climate resilience while supporting economic growth in the region.
The completed facilities now provide a reliable water supply for Bacolod and Murcia. With a total capacity of 75 million litres per day, the system addresses long-term water needs. Meanwhile, Tubig Pilipinas continues similar projects in Cebu, Nueva Ecija, Negros Occidental, Samar, Camarines Sur, Isabela, Cavite, Palawan, and Pangasinan.
