Quezon City--- The Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) reported that in CY 2007 it was able to collect P1.77 Billion in principal and interest payments from borrower water districts for government-guaranteed foreign as well as local loans used in the improvement and expansion of their water supply systems.

LWUA Administrator Orlando C. Hondrade said that though the 2007 collection of P1.77 Billion is lower than that of the previous year of P2.8 billion which he said was buttressed by advance payments through re-financing of some major water district loans by the Development Bank of the Philippines, the agency nonetheless attained its highest-ever collection ratio of 98 percent last year.

Hondrade also reported that the agency's total loan grants for provincial water supply projects have reached more than P23.2 Billion with the approval of an additional P535 million in new loans to water districts last year. On the other hand, he added, total loans availed of by recipient water districts have reached more than P19.8 billion with the release of a total of P697 million in loan funds to water districts for the same period.

Also in 2007, LWUA was able to complete 51 water supply improvement and expansion projects with a total project disbursement of P765 million bannered by the multi-million pesos Metro Roxas Comprehensive Water Supply Improvement Project that was personally inaugurated by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

The Metro Roxas Project which was jointly funded by LWUA and the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) featured a modern water treatment plant which is capable of processing 30,000 cubic meter of raw water per day to serve the potable water needs of some 200,000 residents in Roxas City and the towns of Ivisan, Panitan and Panay in the province of Capiz. President Arroyo personally presided over its inauguration last August accompanied by Senator Mar Roxas, Governor Victor Tanco, Rep. Antonio del Rosario, Roxas City Mayor Vicente Bermejo and LWUA officials that included Hondrade and Board Chair Proceso T. Domingo.

The other completed projects last year which were funded by LWUA with its own internal cash generation or assistance from official development assistance (ODA) funds coming from the German Kreditanstalt fur Weideraufbau (KfW), JBIC and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), involved the development of water sources, construction of pumping and storage facilities, installation of chlorination/treatment facilities, transmission and distribution pipelines, fire hydrants and metered household water service connections.

Aside from Metro Roxas, the other completed projects were undertaken in Ramon, Isabela worth P19.7 million; Ifugao, Ifugao (P11.4M); Maddela, Quirino (P13.7 M); Bugallon, Pangasinan (P25.06M); Palayan City (P5.6 M); Guagua (P24.7M) and Candaba (P13.2 M), both in Pampanga; San Antonio, Zambales (P19.9M); Angat, Bulacan (P19M); Indang (P11.4M) and Silang (P15.1M), both in Cavite; Mabini, Batangas (P5.3 M); Roxas, Palawan

(P7.6M); Guinayangan (P13.7 M) and Gumaca (P6 M), both in Quezon Province: Sipocot
(P15M), Baao (P2M), Libmanan (P18.1M), Ragay (P28.2M) and Pili (P1.5M), all in Camarines Sur; Tabaco ( two projects worth P40.3 million ), Bacacay (P14.9 M) and Daraga (P5.8 M), all in Albay; and Aroroy, Masbate (P2.9M)

Miag-ao (P8M), Lambunao (P17.5M), Banate (P15.02M), Zarraga (P11.7M) and Tubungan (P9.9M), all in Iloilo; Silay City (P10M); Malay/Caticlan, Aklan (P9.4M); Dumaguete City (P17.7 M); Catarman, Northern Samar (P13.1 M); Gingoog City, Misamis Oriental (P1M); Butuan City (P33.5M) and Nasipit (two projects worth P9.9M), both in Agusan del Norte; New Corella, South Cotabato (two projects worth P16.5 million ); Hagonoy, davao del Sur (P0.4M); Dapitan City (P22.5M); Ipil-Titay, Zamboanga del Sur (P3M); Kapatagan, lanao del Sur (P17.5M) and Misamis Occidental (P9.3M).

c February 22, 2008