Maynilad plans up to P30-B capex this year

By Sheldeen Joy Talavera, Reporter

WEST ZONE concessionaire Maynilad Water Services, Inc. plans to spend up to P30 billion in 2026 to fund water and wastewater projects within its service areas.

“We’re looking at anywhere between P26 [billion] to P30 billion,” Maynilad President and Chief Executive Officer Ramoncito S. Fernandez told BusinessWorld last week.

He said the planned capital spending will be allocated to projects related to water production, wastewater services, and non-revenue water reduction.

The 2026 capital expenditure (capex) forms part of the company’s P163-billion capital investment program for 2023 to 2027, which is earmarked for infrastructure projects aimed at sustaining service improvements.

Mr. Fernandez said Maynilad is ramping up the completion of major water infrastructure projects, including the CAMANA (Caloocan-Malabon-Navotas) Water Reclamation Facility.

“That’s the biggest wastewater plant in the country when it’s finished this year,” he said.

Located in Maypajo, Caloocan City, the P10.5-billion facility is designed to enhance sewerage services in South Caloocan, Malabon, and Navotas by treating up to 205 million liters of wastewater daily. Once operational, it is expected to serve about 1.2 million customers.

Maynilad currently operates 23 wastewater facilities, based on its website.

The company had earmarked more than P30 billion for capital expenditures last year as it stepped up investments in water supply, wastewater, and network improvement projects.

Maynilad made its stock market debut in November last year, raising P34.34 billion from the offering, the second-largest initial public offering in the bourse’s history.

For the first nine months of 2025, the company reported a net income of P11.41 billion, up 18% from a year earlier, supported by higher revenues.

Maynilad is the primary provider of water and wastewater services in the West Zone, which covers 11 cities in Metro Manila, three of which have partial coverage, as well as parts of Cavite province.

Metro Pacific Investments Corp., Maynilad’s majority shareholder, is one of three Philippine subsidiaries of First Pacific Co. Ltd., alongside Philex Mining Corp. and PLDT Inc.

Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has an interest in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls.