the official company newsletter of maynilad water … issue.pdf · because of maynilad’s “higit...

VOLUME 9 | ISSUE 3 | JULY–SEPTEMBER 2018

R I P P L E S

SERVICE BEYOND WATER

T H E O F F I C I A L C O M P A N Y N E W S L E T T E R O F M A Y N I L A D W A T E R S E R V I C E S , I N C .

MA-SEWER-TE TAYO: THE MAYNILAD SEWERAGE SYSTEM

MAYNILAD COPS 11 PHILIPPINE QUILL AWARDS

WHAT ALCOHOL REALLY DOES TO OUR BODY

SHERWIN BACANTO AND HIS ‘WALANG IWANAN’ SPIRIT

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R I P P L E SRipples is the official publication of Maynilad Water Services, Inc. for Maynilad employees and friends. Ripples welcomes contributions, letters, photos, and artwork for publication. However, these materials become Ripples property and are subject to editorial changes. Send contributions to the Corporate Communications Department,G/F Maynilad Bldg., MWSS Compound, Katipunan Road, Balara, Quezon City; Tel. Nos. 981-3451 to 52; Email: [email protected] and [email protected].

JENNIFER R. CASIPIT-RUFOEditor in Chief

LALAINE DIXIE L. TIANGCOManaging Editor

MADELEINE R. ZAIDEREGINALD M. INDONAssociate Editors

JECELYN M. LEOBRERAWriter

GRACE A. LAXACirculation Manager

RYAN B. JAMORA SHERWIN DC. MENDOZAANN MARGARETT L. MARIGONDON-CARANTOTERESITA C. MONTANOMIRLA M. DE LEONELIZABETH S. DAVIDLOLIT M. LOTANOLAN C. CLEMENTECorrespondents

MIKHAIL D. SANCHEZKRISTIAN ROSS S. AQUINOIllustrators

Years ago, I visited the urban poor community along R10 in Tondo, Manila, where our company organized its first “Samahang Tubig Maynilad” (STM) cooperative. My intent was to speak with STM-Tondo President Lydia Codiñera, and to see for myself the impact of our CSR initiative among the residents.

Going deep into the tangle of shanties in the area was probably one of the scariest experiences of my life. At one point, I thought we would be accosted by some tattooed toughies, but it turned out that they were only making a beeline for the bulk faucet so they can fill up some empty pails.

Suffice to say that I felt a deeper affinity for the zone specialists who make daily rounds of such communities.

At any rate, my conversation with Aling Lydia proved to be worth the visit. More than what she actually said, it was her warmth and obvious concern for her neighbors that really stuck with me. It is not easy to organize families that quarrel as a pastime, yet she managed to do it. Hence, even after the R10 community was relocated, STM-Tondo still thrived, and even expanded to entrepreneurial endeavors.

Aling Lydia is a testament of the many amazing things that people can do, as long as they are enabled. Maynilad served as a catalyst for such empowerment, and I couldn’t be prouder to be part of this company.

In this issue of Ripples, we share the story of Aling Lydia and others like her whose lives have been changed for the better because of Maynilad’s “higit sa tubig ang aming serbisyo” promise.

Cheers!

MY INSPIRING TONDO VISIT

EDITOR’S NOTE WHAT’S INSIDE

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6

SERVICE BEYOND WATER

ALL FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

FEATURES

NEWS

While the very nature of its business already lends itself toward nation-building, Maynilad’s Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives further expand its positive impact to communities.

Maynilad actively contributes to global efforts of environmental conservation by reducing its carbon footprint and even doing carbon sequestration.

12 Bacanto wins Golden Meter Awards 2018 | 13 10k pipe

leaks fixed in H1 2018 | PWTP treatment capacity

upgraded 14 Maynilad cops 11 Philippine Quill Awards I

LP rehab continues; one basin upgrade done

15 Basketball enthusiasts hold 1st Papawis Cup | Water

research program launched 16 RSF speaks at Singapore

Int’l Water Week | Manila Bay clean-up held

17 2019 targets set in commitment exercise | 2nd Junior

Water Camp mounted for PSHS

COVER STORY

RIPPLES I THE OFFICIAL COMPANY NEWSLETTER OF MAYNILAD WATER SERVICES, INC.JULY - SEPTEMBER 2018 2

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IN FOCUS: PASAY WATER RECLAMATION FACILITY

BEYOND THE PIPELINE

STARS OF MAYNILAD

TUBEE & CO.YOUR PAGE

MEN AND WOMEN OF MAYNILAD

HEAD FOR THE WEST

NRW WATCH

DOC RIC SAYS

COLUMNS

REGULARS

Managing and maintaining sewerage systems is no walk in the park. Given the protection such systems provide to the environment and to community health, we are very lucky that Maynilad is here to do the dirty job.

One of the latest additions to Maynilad’s growing list of Sewage Treatment Plants, the Pasay WRF is, so far, the largest operational facility with complete treatment to comply with the government’s stricter effluent standards.

How has Maynilad changed lives for the better? Hear it directly from this Tondo resident.

Sherwin Bacanto and his ‘walang iwanan’ spirit

Central Depot donates wooden pallets

Technical Working Group on Non-Revenue Water

‘Coz it’s the season of giving

Netbase as a tool for efficient NRW management

What alcohol really does to our body

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RIPPLES I THE OFFICIAL COMPANY NEWSLETTER OF MAYNILAD WATER SERVICES, INC. JULY - SEPTEMBER 2018 3

COVER STORY

Lydia Codiñera recalled how daily life was like in one of the biggest informal settler communities in Tondo, Manila. “Where I live, the mothers in the neighborhood were unproductive.” With nothing better to do, they would play bingo in the streets and gossip until they ended up quarreling, she added. “Most of the children were malnourished and grimy due to lack of food and water. Couples fought because money was never enough for the family.”

It was a dismal and hopeless state, which Codiñera thought only a miracle could fix.

That miracle came in the form of a landmark program called “Samahang Tubig Maynilad” (STM), which was launched in 2009 to provide low-income and informal settler families with ready access to safe and affordable water. Firmly believing that access to potable water is a basic human right, this inclusive program allows Maynilad to overcome the issues that hinder it from connecting urban poor communities to its water network, such as right-of-way conflicts, limited finances of the residents, and prevalence of water retailer syndicates.

Under this program, communities are assisted in forming a cooperative, which receives and manages the water system built by Maynilad. Besides earning from the water system, these cooperatives are also provided with skills and livelihood training to help them

Maynilad reaches out to more low-income families in the West Zone through its water-for-the-poor initiatives.

Service beyond waterMaynilad's CSR programs create ripples of positive impact to communities


Lydia Codiñera (right) leads mothers in Tondo in making Kapwa hygiene and home care products.

sustain their small business ventures for the community. Currently, some 19,400 residents from 13 communities have already benefited from Maynilad’s STM program. Codiñera, who is the president of STM-Tondo, describes the transformation of her community as something “like magic.” “When Maynilad came, everything changed for the better.” Even when most of their area was eventually demo-lished, Maynilad continued to support the cooperative which, to Codiñera, showed Maynilad’s sincere commitment.

With earnings from operating the water system, Codiñera later established “Kapwa,” a small yet booming business venture of hygiene and home care products produced by mothers in Tondo. “We were barely surviving before Maynilad came. Even if I didn’t know how to make soap then, I welcomed the opportunity that Mayni-lad presented because it would help us make extra income. Now we are able to work to lift ourselves out of poverty,” said Codiñera, who was recently hailed as one of Go Negosyo’s 2018 Inspiring Filipina Entrepreneurs.

The STM-Riverview community in Quezon City is another success story.

Aside from enjoying their access to safe water, the cooperative—composed of 60 families—now also earns from “upcycling” old Maynilad uniforms and converting these into useable items for Maynilad’s donation drives. This “Green Badge” project supports Maynilad’s disaster relief efforts while also providing this community with livelihood.

“Dahil sa Green Badge, nagkaroon kami ng hanap-buhay kahit dito lang kami sa bahay,” said Josie Nilo of STM-Riverview.

Meanwhile, for some communities, Maynilad partners with non-government organizations in the effort to give water access. Anotherwater-for-the-poor program, “Pag-Asa sa Patubig Partnership” (P3), is being done in tandem with social enterprise group Tubig Pag-Asa. Through P3, some 500

Dahil sa Green Badge,

nagkaroon kami ng

hanap-buhay kahit dito

lang kami sa bahay.

poor households in Muntinlupa City and Bacoor City that used to rely on unsafe water from deep wells and costly water deliveries now have potable water from Maynilad. The program helped to promote a safer, cleaner community.

“Nagkaroon kami ng fire hydrant at mga pagsasanay sa firefighting, first aid, clean-up drive, hygiene at sanitation. Napakalaki ng aming pasasalamat sa Maynilad,” said beneficiary Elias Rempillo.

Formerly waterless neighborhoods are slowly being transformed into empowered communities through Maynilad’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives in the West Zone. Marginalized families now have clean and affordable drinking water, as well as livelihood opportunities that improve their quality of life. “As we strengthen our operations in the West Zone, we will also continue to expand our CSR programs to help uplift more communities. Ultimately, beyond pro-viding them with potable water, we hope to make a significant, positive contribution to the lives of those we serve,” said Maynilad President and CEO Ramoncito S. Fernandez.


FEATURES

All for the environment

By Lalaine Dixie L. Tiangco

Maynilad is a company that cares for the environment. This, in fact, is one of the many reasons why a lot of us are proud to be working for this company.

Aside from treating wastewater before discharge to receiving bodies of water, which is part of the core business of the company, Maynilad is also actively contributing to global efforts of environmental conservation by reducing its carbon footprint and even doing carbon sequestration.

In 2009, Maynilad took the first step toward managing its emissions by implementing an integrated Greenhouse Gases and Air Pollutant Emissions Inventory and Accounting, in partnership with Philippine Busi-ness for the Environment (PBE) and Clean Air Initiative for Asian Cities (CAI-ASIA) Center.

The objective was mainly to come up with a baseline of the overall emissions of the company and later develop programs that will help reduce its carbon footprint.

Fast forward to the present—Maynilad, through the active participation and support of its employees—was able to launch and implement a slew of programs that all work toward attaining this objective.

ADDRESSING CARBON EMISSIONS

Given initial findings that vehicles are one of the main sources of air pollutants, Maynilad prioritized the re-fleeting of vehicles. Among its Clean Fleet Management strategies were the shift from gasoline vehicles to diesel, and the replacement of all light vehicles older than 2012. This was reinforced with the adoption of better car maintenance practices to ensure the good condition of vehicles, as well as the installation of

Since the inception of “Plant for Life” in 2009, Maynilad has planted almost 180,000 mangrove propagules in Cavite province, Malabon City,

and Muntinlupa City, and over 500,000 tree saplings at the Ipo Watershed in Bulacan.

Global Positioning System (GPS) devices to monitor and track vehicle usage.

In addition to these, company drivers were trained on “eco-driving” so they would know how to drive more efficiently and consume less fuel.

Another main source of emissions is the energy consumption of the company. Hence, several programs were implemented to make the use of electricity more efficient. The following were key in reducing carbon footprint:


Maynilad taps volunteers from both public and private sectors to lend a hand in its reforestation

and afforestation initiatives.

1. Establishment of 100% District Metered Areas (DMA) – This enabled the company to monitor and control supply distribution more efficiently, thus allowing it to decommission some of its facilities.

2. Installation of Variable Frequency Drives (VFD) and highly efficient motors – This enhanced the efficiency of pump station opera-tions. VFDs are used to control the speed and torque of motors to meet specified pressure and flow. The slower the speed, the less the energy consumption of the facility. This is useful to Maynilad, as not all motors need to run at full speed at all times. Calibrating the speed of motors resulted to lower energy consumption.

3. Incorporating Energy Management System on existing management systems – Since energy conservation practices are applicable to almost all of its facilities, Maynilad standardized best practices across the different sites, including the turning on/off of the water pumps of pump stations, which led to lower spikes in voltage reading.

4. Facilities and process improve-ment and optimization of water production – Through the improvement and optimization of facilities, the emissions of water production were reduced. Among such projects done at La Mesa Treat-ment Plants 1 and 2 were the reha-bilitation of the existing polymer and chlorine dosing facility, construction of chlorine scrubber system, and installation of power management system.

5. Process improvement and optimization in Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) – This is meant to reduce the operating expenses of STPs through constant monitoring and adjustment to the optimum level

of power and chemical volumes with-out sacrificing effluent quality.

These efforts proved to be effective, as the company received several energy manage-ment awards in 2017, including the Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM) Energy Management Award.

Apart from energy management in facilities, Maynilad also refurbished the Air Handling Units (AHU) and upgraded the Electrical Rooms at Balara Head Office. This is to efficiently maximize use of the AHU and Electrical Rooms and, at the same time, minimize electrical hazard risk and increase efficiency in power consumption.

In addition to these, the company is also conducting simple energy conservation activities in all offices to further reduce energy consumption. Among these are switching off lights during lunch breaks, setting air conditioning temperatures between 22-25°C, and using LED lamps instead of fluorescent bulbs.

Maynilad also started installing solar panels in some of its facilities. This was piloted at the Maynilad Safety Center, and it is now being adopted for the La Mesa Development Plan, which is a way bigger application.

CARBON CAPTURE

To further spread awareness among employees about the impact of our activities to the environment, an Integrated Management System (IMS)

was established. “These programs ultimately contributed a lot to reducing the company’s carbon footprint. But what I am truly happy about is the support and volunteerism of the employees in ensuring the success of these programs,” said CQESH head, Atty. Roel Espiritu.

Indeed, the help of employees is vital to the company’s carbon sequestration or carbon crediting efforts.

Through the “Plant for Life” program—which involves mobilizing volunteers for the company’s reforestation activi-ties—carbon crediting is possible, as trees and mangroves absorb carbon dioxide. Since 2009, Maynilad has been meeting its target to plant 15,000 mangroves and 50,000 saplings annually. The company doubled this commitment in 2017, when it aimed to plant a total of 130,000 trees and mangroves, in support of the MWSS Annual Million Trees Challenge.

In 2017, Maynilad successfully accomplished this commitment in less than 12 months, through the help of Maynilad employee-volunteers. For 2018, the company committed to plant a total of 100,000 mangroves and saplings.

“Yung nakatulong ka sa pag-preserve ng kapaligiran, this thought always excites me. So when I read the invitation for tree-planting volunteers, I didn’t think twice to register. When your company participates or sponsors activities dedicated to reducing carbon footprint, it really shows that company’s love for country. Kaya naman I can say that it is a blessing to be part of Maynilad,” said Plant for Life volunteer Charlie Pons Esposo of Wastewater Management.

These volunteers do not mind the early wake-up call and physical strain of the activity, because they fully understand the importance of what they are doing. “Napakasarap sa pakiramdam na maging bahagi ng tree-planting activity. Kahit maputik, malayo ang lugar, nag-enjoy kami dahil alam namin yung ginagawa namin ay hindi masasayang dahil ito ay makabuluhang pagtulong para sa pag-preserve ng ating kalikasan,” said Bienvenido Roque of Supply Chain Management.


FEATURES


By Arche Bryant A. Afable

The sewerage system as a concept seems simple enough: Wastewater travels through a series of sewer lines, making its way to the nearest treatment plant before it is discharged to our rivers—easy. But how to make sure that these sewer lines stay in tiptop shape? Now that’s one dirty business.

Sewerage systems suffer from a multitude of problems—mainly silt and garbage. In time, sand-like solids called silt accumulate in sewer lines, as well as in pump stations and lift stations, clogging the lines and potentially damaging installed pumps in the station chambers.

To address this, dedicated teams routinely clean and unclog sewer lines with long and slender sewer rods (sundot). We also use large trucks equipped with powerful vacuum pumps called Vacuum Truck Units (VTUs) to suck off contents from septic tanks and

VTUs are used to siphon contents from septic tanks and overflowing sewer manholes.

overflowing sewer manholes (sipsip), and we sometimes also use powerful water jetting equipment.

Moreover, regular desilting activities are done, where station chambers are dewatered and completely rid of silt.

Garbage, when improperly disposed, also has the same effect as silt. However, garbage can be especially problematic for combined sewer systems, which intercept drainage water and redirect it to nearby treatment plants. Garbage can accumulate in interceptor screens, requiring regular cleaning and maintenance.

Combined sewer systems are vulnerable to occasional theft of screens, which happen to be made of stainless steel. Engineers swiftly and cleverly respond to this problem by replacing these with perforated concrete screens instead.

Finally—and perhaps more importantly—sewer maintenance engineers must constantly coordinate with agencies and companies like the Department of Public Works and Highways and Manila Electric Company for sewer-drainage project alignments and power supply maintenance, respectively.

To date, Maynilad maintains six major sewerage systems, namely: San Juan, Dagat-Dagatan, Central Manila, Makati, Alabang, and Pasay. More are being developed, in line with Maynilad’s commitment to a cleaner, greener Philippines.

When you think about how our sewerage systems—and the peo-ple that manage these—effectively prevent all that filth from coming back to flood our streets and wrea-king havoc on the health of our loved ones, we can truly say that with these wastewater services in place, we are all very ma-sewer-te (lucky) indeed!


FEATURESIN FOCUS:

Maynilad has several facilities that are vital to its operations. This section puts the spotlight on each of these facilities for better appreciation on how these are managed, as well as on their role in providing quality services to West Zone customers.

PASAY WATER RECLAMATION FACILITY

By Dirk Jan Dinno B. Coligado

In line with Maynilad’s mission to provide sustainable water solutions, wastewater reclamation facilities (WRFs)—or Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs)—are continuously being constructed to expand sewerage coverage in the West Zone.

One of the latest additions to the company’s list of STPs is the Pasay WRF, located at Brgy. 168 in Malibay, Pasay City. It has a treatment capacity of 46 million liters of wastewater per day and serves a population of around 275,000 in a 580-hectare catchment area. This area includes Zones 11 to 19 of Pasay, Magallanes Village, and a large portion of Barangay Bangkal in Makati. A total of 10 kilometers of sewer lines and 89 interceptor box systems collect and transport sewage to Pasay WRF.

Funded with an aid from World Bank, Maynilad invested ₱1.1 billion to put up the facility. To date, Pasay WRF is the largest operational facility with complete treatment to comply with

the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ Administrative Order 35 environmental standards.

Pasay WRF utilizes the conventional activated sludge technology. In the preliminary treatment stage, coarse and fine-sized solid wastes are removed with automatic screens to avoid clogging of the pumps, as well as oil and grease which may upset the following biological process. Lamella plate settlers are used to reduce the overall footprint of the facility.

In the biological treatment stage, biodegradable substances that pose a threat to both the environment and human health are treated. The activated sludge is then separated from the treated water in four trains of clarifiers, with lengths a tad longer than Olympic-sized pools. The treated water will then pass through ultraviolet disinfection to kill pathogenic microorganisms before being released to the adjacent Dilain Creek.

Offering a holistic approach to wastewater treatment, the facility is installed with sludge treatment units: Thickeners, polymer preparation units, and screw presses. Through the dewatering process, the volume of sludge is reduced from 0.4% to 25% dry solids, resulting to 62.5 times reduction in volume.

The facility is fully automated to reduce and manage the consumption of electricity and chemicals. This also ensures the stability of the biological and chemical processes. Being at the center of a residential area, Pasay WRF is equipped with silent-type blowers to comply with work environment standards, and biological odor treatment system to meet air quality standards.

The Pasay WRF’s operations are not limited within its walls. Maynilad uses the catchment management approach wherein the whole influence area of a facility is being managed. Natural events such as tidal changes, heavy rains, and flooding are monitored. Water consumption, solid waste generation, and other behavioral activities of the community are studied. All of these affect the sewage treatment process and the operation of Pasay WRF.

To realize the full potential of this project, the full commitment of other stakeholders—i.e., local government units, the community, etc.—is essential. It should also be acknowledged that the management of our water bodies is intertwined with several other factors, such as solid waste management and land use planning and management. If all of these elements are properly managed, the envisioned cleaner, healthier, and sustainable future can be achieved.

The Pasay WRF uses conventional activated sludge technology and can treat 46 million liters of wastewater per day.


FEATURES

Beyond thepipelineHow Maynilad investments have

changed lives for the better

Maynilad investments and pro-poor advocacies have improved the living conditions of millions of people—

but much remains to be done.

“’Di bale nang walang ilaw, basta may tubig (We can bear not having electricity as long as we have water),” said Tondo resident Rebecca Sanchez, echoing a reality where lack of basic utilities compel Filipinos to choose which necessities they could or could not live without.

For most of her life, Sanchez and her family went out every day to fetch water, dragging containers to the water seller and shelling out ₱50 a day for the commute and the cost of water. That was easily ₱1,500.00 per month. For a family with five children to support, and an unstable job, that meant making huge sacrifices.

With a house to maintain and not a tap in sight, one can only imagine the number of challenges that come with having limited water supply. But like many families living in similar circumstances in urban poor communities, they endured.


Ang tubig ay buhay, kaya lubos-lubos ang aming pasasalamat sa Maynilad dahil

mayroon na kaming tubig sa aming mga

bahay ngayon

Di bale nang walang ilaw,basta may

tubig

Privatization

Inclusive access to water

Investing in the future

Changing lives

Before 1997, water supply and distribution in the Greater Manila Area was directly managed by the government through the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS). However, problems of inefficiency and funding prevented the agency from reaching more areas, and providing 24-hour water access at acceptable pressure levels.

MWSS operations were privatized in 1997 in the hope that, with the help and resources of the private sector, this basic necessity can be provided to all residents of Metro Manila. Maynilad was then awarded the west concession, but it was only after its re-privatization in 2007—when management was turned over to the joint venture of Metro Pacific Investments Corporation and DMCI Holdings, Inc.—that the dramatic service improvements occurred.

One of Maynilad’s biggest hurdles was reducing the volume of non-revenue water (NRW), or water loss from leaks or illegal connections. With aggressive pipe replacement projects and leak detection technologies, Maynilad was able to reduce NRW from a high of 67% in 2007 to as low as 29% by the first half of 2018. This recovered water has been plowed back to the rehabilitated system and distributed to previously unserved and under-served areas in the West Zone.

The company also committed to invest heavily in projects that will ensure water accessibility for more people, including those in the marginalized sector. Since 2007, Maynilad has poured in an average of around ₱8 billion in annual investments to enhance water and wastewater services.

Maynilad consistently advocates water access for the marginalized, and has implemented various pro-poor programs aside from STM. It also provides a subsidy for “lifeline” customers (those consuming 10 cubic meters or below per month), discounts for senior citizens, and rate downgrades for public institutions.

“While we have accomplished a lot in the last decade, much remains to be done. Stories of how our improved services changed lives motivate us to do our best in fulfilling our mission to provide safe, affordable, and sustainable water solutions for our customers. We will continue to invest and work with our partners for nation-building and social development,” said Maynilad President and CEO Ramoncito S. Fernandez.

Through Maynilad’s continued investments, 93.49% of the West concession area is now connected to the system. This translates to total customer accounts of 1.39 million, 13% of which are low-income households. Also, 97.55% now enjoy 24-hour water supply, from only 32% of its customers beginning 2007. Meanwhile, all customers experience 7 pounds per square inch (psi) pressure, which is enough for water to reach the second floor of a house.

Complementing the provision of water, Maynilad is also responsible for wastewater management. After securing most of its water supply infrastructure, the company is now making major strides in building sewerage and sanitation facilities and conveyance systems.

Wastewater is conveyed to Maynilad’s treatment plants, where it undergoes several processes before being discharged—as effluent that passes government standards—to waterways in Metro Manila. Aside from lessening pollution in water

Maynilad’s aggressiveness in turning the water industry around directly resulted in improved living conditions for families like the Sanchezes. In 2009, Sanchez and her community in Isla Puting Bato were finally provided with a water system through “Samahang Tubig Maynilad” (STM), a program that extends access to safe and affordable water to low-income communities.

In STM communities, water access is managed by a cooperative, which Maynilad also helps to form and train. This setup allows the community to not only enjoy the benefits of having potable water but also to earn from it. Being accountable for their own water system has also given the community a sense of responsibility and ownership.

“Ang tubig ay buhay, kaya lubos-lubos ang aming pasasalamat sa Maynilad dahil mayroon na kaming tubig sa aming mga bahay ngayon (Water is life, and so we are very grateful to Maynilad because we now have water in our own homes),” Sanchez said.

bodies, sewerage and sanitation services also reduce the incidence of water-borne diseases.

As of the first half of 2018, sewerage coverage in the West Zone is at 16%. These numbers are expected to reach 100% by the end of the concession period in 2037. Meanwhile, areas not connected to the sewerage network are provided with Maynilad’s sanitation services (also called septic tank cleaning services).

While the work is far from over, completed projects have already given rise to tangible benefits for millions of people. Since 2007, Maynilad has also generated some 283,000 jobs through infrastructure projects and sustained operations.


Bacanto wins Golden Meter Award 2018

Putatan Water Treatment Plant (PWTP) head, Engr. Sherwin P. Bacanto, won the coveted Golden Meter Award 2018 title during the grand awarding ceremony held last July at the Okada Manila in Parañaque City. In his message after receiving the award, Bacanto cited the contributions of his team mates in making his victory possible. “Thank you, Maynilad, for entrusting this

Sherwin Bacanto (middle) proudly holds his Golden Meter Award trophy. With him are President and CEO Ramoncito Fernandez and Chief Operating Officer Randolph Estrellado.

The five finalists of this year’s Golden Meter Awards with Maynilad’s Top Management Team.

By Jecelyn M. Leobrera

award to me. But winning this award would not have been possible if not for the help of the dedicated and hard-working men and women of Putatan (Water Treatment Plant). Walang iwanan sa Putatan. Laban, Putatan! Laban!”

As head of PWTP 2 and concurrent head of PWTP 1 under the Water Supply Operations Division, Bacanto spearheaded programs that attained the rated capacity and even

maximized the production of the plants; established plant resiliency, optimization and improvement; and extended customer assistance through Corporate Social Responsibility activities within the vicinity of the plants to foster better community relationships. Bacanto was also recognized as one of the “Outstanding People Managers” of Maynilad—a special award given during this year’s CXRO-HR Conference. Other finalists of the Golden Meter Awards 2018 are Rodora N. Gamboa (Commercial and Marketing), Roldan Q. Pineda (Customer Experience and Retail Operations), Louiejhon A. Princesa (Wastewater Management), and Ma. Carmella S. Coz (Supply Chain Management). Finalists are recognized for their work performance, demonstration of company core values, and initiatives that go beyond one’s job description. Meanwhile, a new Team Category was introduced in this year’s Golden Meter Award. Declared as winner was the “Technical Working Group on Non-Revenue Water”, comprised of members from Central Non-Revenue Water, Customer Experience and Retail Operations, Water Supply Operations, and Technical Services Division. The team showed strengthened collaboration and linkages among the four divisions, whose programs are interrelated and geared toward reducing water loss. Other finalists under this new category were the Feed, Lingkod Eskwela, T&C, and BA-NRW Integration teams.

NEWS


10k pipe leaks fixed in H1 2018

PWTP treatment capacity upgraded

Maynilad repaired about 10,000 pipe leaks in the first half of 2018, bringing the company’s total leak repairs to 344,208 since its re-privatization in 2007.

The repair of these pipe leaks—which were found mostly in Quezon City, Parañaque and Muntinlupa—enabled Maynilad to recover some 44 million liters of water per day (MLD), enough the meet the water requirement of about 304,000 people.

Plugging leaks in the distribution system is a major component of Maynilad’s Non-Revenue Water (NRW) Management Program, which seeks to bring down physical and commercial water losses. In 2018, Maynilad has allotted ₱274 million for its leakage control projects. Maynilad will also acquire an upgraded Sahara® Leak Detection Equipment that will help fast-track leak detection and repairs along primary lines.

“Maynilad inherited a very old pipe system. Instead of doing total pipe

The Putatan Water Treatment Plant (PWTP) was recently upgraded to enhance supply reliability for Maynilad customers in the south.

The ₱102-million plant upgrade involved the installation of additional Reverse Osmosis (RO) assemblies, increasing the facility’s RO treatment capacity to 50 million liters per day (MLD)—up from only 30 MLD. PWTP produces an average of 150 MLD of potable water for some 1.2 million Maynilad customers in Muntinlupa, Las Piñas and Cavite.

PWTP uses a multi-stage process to convert raw water from Laguna Lake to potable drinking water. The facility uses its RO treatment process whenever there are spikes in Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) in the lake water. Given the limited RO treatment capacity, PWTP often had to reduce water production with every

replacements, which can be very costly and disruptive to the motoring public, we proactively look for under-ground pipe leaks and repair these so we can tighten our network through this more cost efficient yet effective means,” said Maynilad President and CEO Ramoncito S. Fernandez.

Maynilad engineers working with contractors to fix a leak.

An increase in the RO treatment capacity of PWTP made it more able to address TDS spikes in the raw water of Laguna Lake.

Aside from leak detection and repair, Maynilad’s NRW Management Program also includes network diagnostics, establishment of District Metered Areas, replacement of old water meters and selective pipe replacement.

shift in the lake’s raw water quality.

With the recent installation of additional RO assemblies at PWTP, Maynilad can better sustain the facility’s production levels despite the varying quality of raw water from Laguna Lake.

“Sudden shifts in raw water quality are one of the manifestations of the impact of climate change. Hence, we need to constantly upgrade our facility’s treatment capacity to keep our water production stable and ensure uninterrupted supply for our customers,” said Maynilad President and CEO Ramoncito S. Fernandez. Maynilad is also currently constructing a second water treatment plant in Muntinlupa, which will provide an additional 150 MLD of potable water for the south where some areas still remain unserved and under-served.

NEWS


NEWS

Maynilad cops 11 Philippine Quill Awards

LP rehab continues; one basin upgrade done

The Maynilad team, led by SVP for Commercial and Marketing Patrick C. Gregorio (standing, 12th from left), with their haul of trophies from the 16th Philippine Quill Awards for its various communications and advocacy initiatives.

Workers install tube settlers and sludge scrapers at Basin 12 of LMTP 1, which will increase the plant’s capacity to address high turbidity in the raw water during the rainy season.

Maynilad won three Excellence and eight Merit Awards at the 16th Philippine Quill Awards held at the Marriott Hotel in Pasay City.

Excellence Awards were given for its Communication Management programs “Isang Dekada, Dala ay Ginhawa” Maynilad 10th Anniversary Campaign (Marketing, Advertising and Brand Communication) and “Daloy Dunong” water education program for public school students (Corporate Social Responsibility).

Also given an Excellence Award under the Communication Skills Division (Audio/Visual) was the Maynilad 10th Anniversary Video, which captured and celebrated the company’s successes of the past 10 years.

Meanwhile, the company bagged Merit Awards for its Communication Management programs “Maynilad ang kailangan ng poso (negro) mo” wastewater digital campaign (Social Media Programs), “Dakilang Manggagawa Awards” (Employee Engagement), “Maynilad Rewards: Grandparents’ Day” (Customer

Maynilad recently completed the upgrade of a sedimentation basin at La Mesa Treatment Plant (LMTP) 1 in Quezon City. This is part of the company’s overall ₱7-billion rehabilitation project for LMTP 1 and 2, which produce about 2,400 million liters of water per day for some nine million customers.

The 12 sedimentation basins at LMTP 1 are being fitted with tube settlers and sludge scrapers, increasing the plant’s capacity to address high turbidity in the raw water during the rainy season. “While there are 11 more basins to go, this is a significant milestone in the rehab project of La Mesa and our ability to respond to the challenges of climate change,” said Maynilad Chief Operating

Relations), and “Lingkod Eskwela” and “Green Badge” programs (Corporate Social Responsibility).

Merit Awards were also given to “Ripples, The Official Company Newsletter of Maynilad” and “Next Generation: Maynilad 2016 Sustainability Report” (Publications), and the “Mayni-LAD to the Rescue!” Wastewater Video (Audio/Visual) under the Communication Skills Division.

“We are deeply honored and grateful to the IABC for recognizing our

company’s advocacy and communications initiatives. These will inspire us to continue pursuing projects that further our ‘higit sa tubig na serbisyo’ brand promise,” said Maynilad President and CEO Ramoncito S. Fernandez.

The Philippine Quill is awarded by the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC). It is the foremost mark of excellence in business communication, and recognizes the most effective and innovative communication initiatives in the country.

Officer Randolph T. Estrellado.The rehabilitation of the 12 basins is being done in phases so that plant operations will not be disturbed even as the upgrades are being done. “We are upgrading one basin at a time, because we cannot shut down the plant and interrupt water service to give way to the rehabilitation work,” Estrellado added.

Aside from rehabilitating the sedimentation basins to improve treatment capacity, other upgrades being done at LMTP 1 and 2 are the retrofitting of structures for enhanced earthquake resiliency, and the automation of processes for more reliable operations. The rehab project is targeted for completion in 2020.


NEWS

Basketball enthusiasts hold 1st Papawis Cup

RSF leads the ceremonial ball toss during the Papawis Cup exhibition game.

Signing the Memorandum of Understanding for the research program are (from left) UP Diliman Associate Dean for Institutional Linkages Dr. Eric Augustus Tingatinga, Program Coordinator for Environmental Engineering Dr. Leslie Joy Diaz, Maynilad Water Academy executive director Rodora Gamboa, Maynilad SVP for Commercial and Marketing Patrick Gregorio, Metro Pacific Water President Atty. Laurence Rogero, UP Diliman Chancellor Dr. Michael Tan, Vice Chancellor for Research and Development Dr. Fidel Nemenzo, Dean of UP Diliman College of Engineering Dr. Rizalinda De Leon, and Head of Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer Unit Prof. Adeline Pacia.

No less than Maynilad President and CEO Ramoncito S. Fernandez graced the recent opening of the Papawis Cup 2018, a Maynilad-wide basketball tournament organized by the “Maynilad Ballers”—the company’s resident basketball enthusiasts.

The first-ever Papawis Cup featured 10 teams from the various divisions. RSF presented the teams during the

By Jecelyn M. Leobrera

opening rites held last July at the MWSS Multi-Purpose Facility, namely: CNRW–Teamwork, CQESH–Innovation, Fleet–Vision, GIS–Excellence, PMD–Honesty, ITS–Mission, Security–Customer Service, Telemetry 1–Integrity, Telemetry 2–Entrepreneur-ship, and WMD–Love for Country.

“Being a health buff and basketball fanatic myself, I am happy that we at

Maynilad never fail to pursue health and wellness activities despite our demanding work at the office,” said RSF during the event.

RSF went on to laud the key organizers of the event, specifically Jojo Regalado and Robin Salenga of Program Management Division, and Erico Lopez of Human Resources, among other support teams from different divisions. “Your efforts today will go a long way in promoting sportsmanship and camaraderie among employees. Let’s play our stresses away and continue to be a happy and healthy organization.”

An exhibition game commenced right after the event launch, participated in by some of the Top Management Team members, as well as the team captains of the participating divisions. Elimination games are still ongoing as of press time. The final rounds have been tentatively set in October.

Water research program launchedMaynilad—through its education arm Maynilad Water Academy—and Metro Pacific Water (MPW) recently sealed a partnership with the University of the Philippines Diliman to launch the Daloy Research Program, an academe-industry collaboration for the advancement of water research.

Under the Daloy Research Program, scholarships will be granted to full-time graduate engineering students who wish to pursue research on topics that cover water source development, water treatment, wastewater management, non-revenue water, smart water technologies, and resource recovery from wastewater.

“New challenges in the water sector call for innovative solutions. The Daloy Research Program seeks to spur innovation in the water industry by investing in the development of young water professionals. This tripartite partnership is a valuable op-portunity to expand the knowledge base

needed to ensure water sustainability,” said Maynilad Senior Vice President for Commercial and Marketing Patrick C. Gregorio.

As industry partners for Daloy, Maynilad and MPW will provide exclusive access to treatment facilities and technical experts for the scholars. The grant includes tuition fees, research funding, and book and transportation allowances.

“We are excited to launch the Daloy Research Program with the University. Daloy, named after our value of Flow, hopes to create solutions that will solve our challenges in water and wastewater not just here in the Philippines but across Asia. This is our chance to contribute towards a more innovative Philippine water sector through our industry-academe partnership,” said MPW President Laurence Rogero.


NEWS

RSF speaks at Singapore Int’l Water Week

Maynilad President and CEO Ramoncito S. Fernandez recently presented before an audience of global water leaders at the 2018 Singapore International Water Week (SIWW). In the SIWW’s “Water Leaders Summit”, Fernandez (in photo, 4th from left) joined other panelists in discussing major issues on ensuring a sustainable and resilient water future. He talked about Maynilad’s infrastruc-ture and technology plans to address climate change, as well as its energy management initiatives for more

sustainable operations.

Also in the photo are (from left) Saudi Arabia Governor-His Excellency Ali Al-Hazmi of Saline Water Conversion Corporation, Netherlands Special Envoy for International Water Affairs-His Excellency Henk Ovink, Asian Development Bank Vice President for Knowledge Management and Sustainable Development-Dr. Bambang Susantono, French water company Suez CEO Jean-Louis Chaussade, and Young Water Leaders representative Engr. Maryam Farhanah.

Fernandez was also a panellist, in lieu of MWSS Administrator Reynaldo Velasco, during the kick-off meeting of the 2nd Asia International Water Week and Smart Water Management Special Session organized by the Asia Water Council and Ministry of Public Works and Housing of Indonesia, held in conjunction with SIWW.

Meanwhile, Maynilad’s Senior Technical Consultant Engr. Francisco Arellano shared his expertise on the development of water and sanitation safety plans, and of national drinking water standards, in several plenary sessions during the SIWW. He was also recognized for his contributions in shaping and co-creating the SIWW since 2008. Organized by Singapore’s Ministry of the Environment & Water Resources and PUB, SIWW is the global platform to share and establish innovative water solutions. The biennial convention gathers global water industry practitioners to share best practices, showcase the latest technologies and tap business opportunities.

Manila Bay clean-up heldMaynilad recently organized some 500 volunteers from the government and private sector to take part in the “Save Manila Bay” clean-up drive at the Manila Bay coastline along Roxas Blvd. in Manila.

As member of LANDBANK’s Manila Bay SUNSET Partnership Program Inc. (MBSPPI), Maynilad held the activity in line with multi-sectoral efforts to clean up, rehabilitate and preserve Manila Bay. The water company sent more than 100 employees to participate in the clean-up, and also set up drinking stations and hand-washing areas for the use of the volunteers, who managed to collect 750 sacks of trash from the Manila Bay. The Maynilad contingent was led by its Head for Quality, Environment, Safety and Health, Atty. Roel S. Espiritu (left), shown in the photo assisting during the clean-up.


NEWS2019 targets set in commitment exercise

2nd Junior Water Camp mounted for PSHS

All operating units of Maynilad committed to attain 2019 company targets during the “2019 Operations Commitment Exercise” held last August 23 at the Core Values Hall, Maynilad Head Office.

Themed “Strengthening the roots of collaboration”, the event aimed to align the respective targets of the various units so that the company can achieve its bottom line come next year. It was spearheaded by the Customer Experience and Retail Operations (CXRO) division and organized in coordination with other operating groups (Central Non-Revenue Water, Program Management, Water Supply Operations, Wastewater Management, Technical Services, and Integrated Asset Management).

The activity identified CXRO’s dependencies and sought thecommitment of the other groups so it can reach 2019 targets on billed volume, water connections, and service levels, among others.

The Maynilad Water Academy recently organized its second implementation of the “Junior Water Camp” (JWC)—an educational program that promotes the application of science and technology in the water industry.

By Jenneyfer Rueda

The commitment exercise began with CXRO presenting its targets. This was followed by the presentation of the other divisions on their respective action plans/programs to support CXRO’s targets.

A highlight of the program was the “Tapatan with The Buzz”—an open forum on critical and controversial issues that affect target setting and operations, facilitated by CXRO consutant Melinda Derpo. Capping the activity was the signing of a commitment board by the TMT to signify everyone’s support of 2019 targets.

Signed and sealed. TMT members hold up the commitment board signifying everyone’s support of attaining 2019 company targets.

Light moment. RSF with other TMT members engaged in an energizer activity during the Commitment Exercise.

Junior high school students of PSHS main campus taking their practical exam on leak detection, as part of their immersion program in Maynilad.

Now on its second year, the program features lectures, demonstrations, and hands-on activities on topics such as water sources, water and wastewater treatment, logistics, meters, leaks, research and design thinking, and

customer service. Junior high school students of the Philippine Science High School (PSHS) main campus took part in the eight-day science immersion program.

“Maynilad Water Academy will continue to engage with PSHS and other learning institutions so that we can produce the future water professionals and experts that will help ensure water sustainability for our country,” Maynilad Water Academy executive director Rodora Gamboa said. “The JWC experience is definitely worth your time. You will learn many concepts regarding water distribution, treatment, and sanitation, and also be immersed in actual field demonstrations of water operations,” JWC graduate Francis Matthew A. de los Reyes said.


COLUMNHEAD FOR THE WEST

The West Zone is a treasure trove of great food, quality products and interesting services. To help promote these otherwise unknown finds, our resident writers will share their experiences so that you, too, can discover the remarkable things about our concession area.

ED’S NOTE: Head for the West is in a quest for the best food, service, destination, or product in the West Zone. If you wish to contribute, don’t hesitate to email us at [email protected]. Tell us your story and share your wonderful photos.

By Lalaine Dixie L. Tiangco

Season of Giving‘Coz it’s the

We Filipinos have one of the longest Christmas celebrations. Once the “-ber” months arrive, or the very moment we start feeling the cool breeze, we already count the days until Christmas. Despite this, we still find ourselves caught up in the Christmas rush where, a mere few days before the noche buena, we find ourselves rushing to the malls for some last-minute shopping.

Pro tip: Before you even start thinking about decorating your home for the holidays, best to focus first on listing down the names of the people you want to remember on Christmas Day. Then, begin researching for possible gift ideas. Having enough time to shop will definitely make your gifts extra special. It will also be easier on your budget (since you don’t have to make rushed purchase decisions), and you can avoid the mad traffic.

Christmas should be a happy season of giving and reuniting with family and friends. Let’s not ruin it with stress.

To further help with your Christmas shopping, here are some gift suggestions that would be perfect for your loved ones. All of these are available in the West Zone!

Their products are all-natural and proudly made in the Philippines. These include soaps, oils and lotions formulated to eliminate migraine and stress, induce sleep, and bring on a relaxing vibe. The aromather-apy items, particularly the essentials oils, are said to be effective in providing relaxation to the body and mind.

Even better, Escents Aromatherapy products are friendly to the environment. You can also be assured of the quality of their products, as Facebook users gave them a perfect 5-star rating!

Green Company, N. Domingo, Banawe, Quezon City Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/EscentsAromatherapyPH/Shopee account: https://shopee.ph/escentsph

Escents Aromatherapy


*Photos in this article were grabbed from the Facebook pages, websites and Google images of the featured establishments.

Gift giving on Christmas Day is a way to commemorate the giving

of gifts to Baby Jesus by the Three Wise Men. In the end, it is not the price tag of the gift that

will hold weight with our intended recipients, but the

thought that we put into choosing a gift that best

resonates with them.

Because chocolate is not just for Valentine’s Day and is perfect for all ages, this is included on our list. Risa Chocolate Kitchen started just as an exercise where its products were only exclusively shared with family and friends. The rave reviews these products got gave rise to the business.

Hand-crafted with the finest ingredients, Risa products elicit una sonrisa a de la Corazon, or a smile from the heart. No doubt, because Facebook users gave Risa a perfect 5-star rating.

Among its product line-up are Chocolate Truffles, Crave Chocolate Bars, Cuadro Chocolate Bars, and Chocolate Pralines. If you don’t want to drive all the way to Las Piñas, you may also opt for delivery. Just place your orders by sending an SMS at +63 918 9424573 or e-mail [email protected].

Two words that best describe their products: Filipino and gourmet. Their high-quality delicacies are healthy, as these have no artificial preservatives and coloring. In fact, some of their items are organic, like the Gourmet Bangus, where the bangus were only fed seaweed called lablab.

Aside from providing healthy and high-quality Filipino delicacies, the people behind Native Gourmet also support local farmers and fishermen. By purchasing their products, you can also help in their environmental preservation and local farming advocacies, as part of business proceeds are donated to The Green Revolution Ambassadors.

Another Filipino favorite: Coffee! The smell of freshly brewed coffee beans will never fail to perk up and bring a smile to the face of your friends and loved ones on Christmas Day.

Café-te-ria was the result of a family’s dream to market locally produced coffee beans. Believing in the quality of these products, the family brought it to market in hopes of empowering local farmers.

At present, it offers seven varieties of naturally grown coffee, some given romantic local names of “Jacinto”, “Palma”, “Agoncillo” and “Luna”. Prices range from ₱149 to ₱400. Café-te-ria also got five stars from its Facebook fans.

Their main products are t-shirts and pouches, which are perfect for your millennial nephews/nieces or barkadas, as these feature everyday thoughts and musings. The people behind these products—heavily influenced by music, pop, and underground culture—express their messages of wit and humor using creative typography on the products they produce.

You can score a shirt for ₱350, and a pouch for only ₱100. This local t-shirt brand has more than 105,000 Facebook fans, which gave it a 4.7-star rating. Aniya Clothing is surely a provider of one of the best t-shirts in the West!

Risa Chocolate Kitchen, Somascan Building, CRM Avenue, BF Almanza, Las PiñasWebsite: http://risa.ph/who/Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/risachocolate/Text: 0918 942 4573

Sunshine Fruit Bar, 755 Banawe cor. Alcaraz, Quezon CityFacebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pg/nativegourmet/posts/?ref=page_internalTelephone: 5012663Karton: https://karton.ph/sellers/native-gourmet

Ground Floor, Ayala Mall District, Aguinaldo Highway, Imus, CaviteFacebook page: https://www.facebook.com/aniyaclothing/Shopee account: http://shopee.ph/aniyaclothingText or Viber: 09178947830

Ground Floor, Ayala Mall District, Aguinaldo Highway, Imus, CaviteFacebook page: https://www.facebook.com/aniyaclothing/Shopee account: http://shopee.ph/aniyaclothingText or Viber: 09178947830

Risa

Native Gourmet

Aniya Clothing

Cafe-te-ria


COLUMNDOC RIC SAYS

Got some health and wellness concerns? Our resident medical expert, Doc Ric, will help you address these concerns to keep you in excellent shape.

By Ricardo Jose Miranda, M.D.

WHAT ALCOHOL REALLY DOES TO OUR BODY

Dear Doc Ric,

My friends say that drinking alcohol is not all that bad. In fact, I came upon a study claiming that people who drank some alcoholic beverage occasionally were healthier than those who avoided alcohol altogether. Is this true?—Guzzler

Dear Guzzler,

It is actually true that moderate alcohol consumption can be good for health. It can even reduce heart disease risk by up to 25%. This is likely due in part to alcohol’s positive effects on HDL or “good” cholesterol levels.

But when I say “moderate alcohol consumption”, I mean no more than two alcoholic beverages per day for adult men, and no more than one drink per day for adult women. One beverage is commonly defined as a 12 oz. beer, 5 oz. wine, or 1.5 oz. distilled spirits—each of which contains about 15 g. of alcohol.

I have to stress that drinking too much alcohol is associated with a risk of developing health problems such as mental and behavioral disorders, and major non-communicable diseases such as liver cirrhosis, some cancers and cardiovascular diseases. There’s also the likelihood of injuries resulting from violence and road collisions. Worldwide, 3.3 million deaths every year result from harmful use of alcohol. Overall 5.1 % of the global burden of disease and injury is attributable to alcohol.

The impact of alcohol consumption on acute and chronic health outcomes vary from person to person, depending on a variety of factors—i.e., amount in volume, frequency, age, health status, and family history.

At a certain amount and percent of alcohol content and frequency of consumption, the following are the pros of alcohol consumption;

1. It could lower the risks of cardiovascular disease. It raises levels of good cholesterol, improve the body’s sensitivity to insulin, and promote better blood clotting.

2. It increases the strength of the immune system. Multiple studies have shown that drinking 8 to 14 glasses of wine a week, especially if it is red wine, can provide the body with enough antioxidants to help reinforce the immune system.

3. It may reduce chances of developing dementia. Alcohol consumption makes the brain cells healthier and more resilient to stress; thus, the less likelihood of developing any form of dementia.

4. It reduces the chance of developing a gallstone. Just two drinks per day is enough to reduce gallstone development and its associated complications.

On the other hand, the following are the cons of alcohol consumption:

1. It can be highly addictive. People can quickly become abusers of alcohol and may not even realize it because the body tends to adapt to a person’s consumption levels.

2. It can cause organ damage. The most common organ issue associated with alcohol consumption is liver cirrhosis.

3. It limits a person’s ability to react. Alcohol acts as a depressant, which means a person’s reactions are slower after consumption.

4. It changes how people make decisions.

Given the above, I say go ahead and drink. But drink healthily.


COLUMNNRW WATCH

Reduction of water loss is an ongoing battle for the company. Get blow-by-blow accounts of the developments straight from Maynilad’s CNRW engineers.

Netbase as a tool for efficient NRW management By Ronald Jeremy B. Salamat

Managing a District Metered Area (DMA) can be likened to treating a patient in a hospital. Patients, especially those admitted in the intensive care unit (ICU), receive constant care and monitoring from a highly specialized team. Different machines are attached to the patients to monitor all their vital signs.

The vital signs in a DMA include the volume of water coming in, the pressure at the meter entry point, and the pressure at the critical point. Any change in the levels of these parameters signifies an event inside the DMA, such as the presence of bursts, decrease in service levels, and increase in customer consumption. These events must be acted upon immediately to prevent the problem from aggravating and to quickly restore the condition to normal levels.

Maynilad DMAs currently have the facilities needed to monitor those vital signs—i.e., the district meters collect supply data, and the pressure monitoring points (PMP) record pressures. Maynilad has an excellent telemetry system that gathers these data, which are accessible via computer desktops.

There are NRW (Non-Revenue Water) engineers across the 12 Business Areas, who act as doctors for their respective DMAs. In Maynilad, an engineer manages an average of 65 DMAs round-the-clock. Needless to say, constant monitoring of all those DMAs would be impossible if done manually.

To help the NRW engineers in accomplishing this arduous task, an NRW management system called Netbase was set up. It integrates the three databases that are essential to NRW: telemetry, consumption and asset databases. It conducts analysis based on these data and converts

them to alarms. This alerts the NRW engineers to act on the specific DMA where the anomaly was observed.

A common alarm that engineers look out for is an increase in night flows, which typically signifies pipe bursts. This was the case in a DMA in Sampaloc Business Area where the increase in flow guided the engineers to quickly look for leaks in the area. A leaking 100mm main line was found and repaired following walk-the-line investigation, step-testing and leak detection activities.

Netbase can also alert the engineers about problems in the devices. Telemetry and Integrated Meter Management will be notified whenever there are flat lines and broken lines.

Engineers can be dispatched immediately to conduct maintenance activities on the meters and data loggers.

Because of the automation capabilities of Netbase, Maynilad can manage numerous DMAs without the need for additional manpower. Prioritization of jobs will not be a problem. The number of days between becoming aware of the problem and implementing the solution will also be reduced. Savings will be made because the engineers need only to patrol those DMAs with problems.

Through automated systems such as Netbase, Maynilad can easily monitor and maintain the health and wellness of the DMAs.

An NRW engineer analyzes field data using Netbase.


REGULARSSTARS OF MAYNILAD

Do you have co-workers who deserve recognition? Submit to us their stories of excellence. Ripples will publish the best employee profiles that demonstrate remarkable work attitude, leadership ability and customer service skills.

By Jecelyn Macahindog-Leobrera

Sherwin Bacanto and his ‘walang iwanan’ spirit

Leading by example and not leaving anyone behind are key elements to Sherwin Bacanto’s style of leadership. He is one to always challenge the status quo, but listens to the needs of others. He considers his success as his team’s success. And as Sherwin takes home this year’s Golden Meter Award, he proves that his methods have been right all along.

CHANGES OVER CHALLENGES Putatan Water Treatment Plants (PWTP) 1 and 2 are manned by personnel of different disciplines. When Sherwin joined Maynilad in January 2017 to head these facilities, he immediately saw problems with collaboration among employees, and this made managing the already complex plant operations more challenging. “I was brutal in my audit findings and recommendations to the plant and the workforce,” he recalls.

His bluntness notwithstanding, Sherwin was later able to harness his team’s natural talents and competencies, and direct everyone’s focus toward meeting their common goals.

First, he needed to fix his team’s mind set. “Collaboration philosophy was injected without them knowing it, so that I can connect to their hearts and imbue them with positivity toward work,” he relates. This was backed by his introduction of employee recognition programs, notably the Putatan Awards, and employment of technical skills and competency trainings for his team.

With his technical expertise and effective people management, the Putatan team managed to maximize production potential, attain rated capacity, and increase the annual production average of PWTP 1. These translated to additional revenue for the company. “We changed the dynamics of each unit in the plant. Silo mentality was removed, the level of work elevated, and we delivered water. The number of connections increased, billed volume increased,” he adds.

‘WALANG IWANAN’Sherwin acknowledges the strong support from his superiors, the Top Management Team, and personnel of Putatan, who never leave his side

during crisis situations.

He recounts one instance when the plant was down. “We were not producing water that day… Walang bumitaw. Hindi ako iniwan ng mga taga-Putatan. Halos lahat ay nasa planta hanggang may na-produce kaming tubig. ’Yung iba umiidlip sa ibabaw ng mesa, nakasandal sa sako… pahingang konti ‘tapos laban na naman. It was a show of force, strong commitment at walang iwanan attitude. It was the laban spirit of Putatan.”

The trust given him by Management and his team is what keeps Sherwin going. “My success as a leader will not be possible without my team. It is something that fuels me day-to-day, to be at my best.”

‘WORLD-CLASS’ FACILITIESMuch needs to be done for PWTP 1 and 2, but Sherwin believes that soon—with the help of his skilled team—these facilities will soon become the world-class membrane technology treatment plants that the company envisioned it to be.

Sherwin says the Putatan story was recently presented during the “Philippine Institute of Chemical Engineers Convention” last February. Its success story will be presented as well at the “International Conference on Sustainable Environment Technology” this August and at the “World Lake Conference” this October.

“Other facilities using membrane technology will visit us to see how we do things, to witness how our engineers and non-engineers manage the plant and, in the near future, design treatment facilities,” Sherwin asserts.

Engr. Sherwin Bacanto is leading his team during a pre-commissioning inspection of equipment and instruments at the soon-to-be finished Putatan Water Treatment Plant 2.


REGULARS This section is for the aspiring writers, poets, photographers and artists of Maynilad who want to share their publication-worthy contributions with Ripples readers.

YOUR PAGE

Central Depot donates wooden palletsThe Central Depot recently donated a

total of 105 wooden pallets, in line with its regular contribution to the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility activities.

In support of this year’s Brigada Eskwela program of the Department of Education, Central Depot donated 75 wooden pallets to three public schools: Lagro High School, Manuel Luis Quezon Elementary School, and Cielito Zamora Senior High School. It also donated 30 wooden pallets to the Bureau of Fire Protection-Lagro Fire Sub-Station, which regularly conducts fire drills and lectures at the Central Depot, in partnership with the Maynilad Safety Department.

The beneficiaries presented Certificates of Appreciation to Central Depot for the donations. These wooden pallets—formerly used for the delivery of water meters—were eventually converted by the recipients into office furniture like tables and cabinets, as well as mini garden fences.


REGULARS Men and Women of Maynilad

By Jecelyn Macahindog-Leobrera

Technical Working Group on Non-Revenue Water

Coming together is a beginning, staying

together is progress, and working together

is success. – Henry Ford

The TWG on NRW Team proudly pose with their Golden Meter Award-Team Category trophy.

Diversity brought them together. Ironic as it may sound, but the success of the Technical Working Group on Non-Revenue Water (TWG on NRW) was born out of the differences in their perspectives directed toward attaining a common goal.

Maynilad sought the creation of a TWG on NRW last July 2017, as NRW is one of the company’s business imperatives this year. The team—comprised of members from Central Non-Revenue Water, Customer Experience and Retail Operations, Water Supply Operations, and Technical Services Division—was formed to flesh out solutions for reducing water losses.

“We oversee the overall NRW recovery program and craft agreed standard

protocols that will be followed by all concerned divisions with regard to hitting the Maynilad service obligation targets, such as service expansion and service level in terms of pressure and availability,” explains Sherwin Mendoza of CNRW.

Breaking walls, strengthening collaboration

Collaborating was a challenge for the team, whose members have varying priorities, deliverables, and work attitude, among other differences. But it was their shared concern for improving the water loss situation of the company that bound them together and compelled them to draw on their respective expertise to come up with comprehensive solutions.

“Because of the TWG, all issues related to NRW reduction and the priorities of the four divisions are being considered in choosing the timing and prioritization of activities. Every step we do as a group is now geared toward our common target and purpose. All member divisions now have a better appreciation of their roles toward

attaining the company’s NRW targets,” shares Rodolfo Baylas of CXRO.

Their work didn’t go unnoticed, as the TWG on NRW Team was conferred the very first “Best Team” recognition from the Maynilad Golden Meter Award this year. “This award is a validation of our efforts to collaborate for operational efficiency. Our only aim at the outset was just to align our targets, but we’ve achieved so much more. Winning the Golden Meter Award is very rewarding and inspiring,” WSO’s Eric Eguia says.

Nominator and CXRO Head Christopher Lichauco proudly attests to the team’s accomplishment. “TWG on NRW represents the new age in Maynilad when the silo mentality has finally ended. Their presence proves that the days when NRW, water supply and billed volume targets were confined to specific divisions—and the times when there was little coordination with each other—are now gone.”

Closer to the goal

Just a year after TWG on NRW was put into place, Maynilad’s average NRW in the DMAs already improved from 32.2% in 2017 to 31.06% as of the first half of 2018. Total NRW, meanwhile, also improved from 41.37% in January 2018 to 38.24% in June 2018. The team is currently establishing the detailed roadmap for long-term targets: 20% DMA NRW by 2022 and 20% Total NRW by 2027.

With the TWG on NRW at work, the company is in a better position to not only hit long-term NRW targets but also to deliver desired service levels. The team hopes that this will translate to better customer experience. “We will continue what we have started, and share our best practices and technical knowledge for operational efficiency,” Mendoza vows.


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