Central Luzon’s economy expanded by 4.5% in 2025, with industry contributing 41.8% of regional output, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority. Sustaining that growth, and attracting new investment, will require reliable water infrastructure.
Tubig Pilipinas Group Inc. President Ryan Wesley T. Yapkianwee (second from right) and Authority of the Freeport Area of Bataan Administrator and CEO Hussein P. Pangandaman (center) formalizes a 25-year partnership to strengthen the water and sewerage infrastructure of the Freeport Area of Bataan.
To meet this need, Tubig Pilipinas Group Inc. (TPGI), part of a consortium with FB Infrastructure Corporation, has signed a Joint Venture Agreement with the Authority of the Freeport Area of Bataan (AFAB) to improve, operate, maintain, rehabilitate, expand, and manage the water supply and sewage systems of the Freeport Area of Bataan (FAB).
The 25-year concession reflects Tubig Pilipinas’ confidence in Bataan’s long-term growth, backed by a Php 1.35-billion investment in the project’s infrastructure.
That confidence is reinforced by major infrastructure on the horizon, including the planned 32.15-kilometer Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge, expected to cut travel time between the provinces from about five hours to 45 minutes and strengthen ties between the industrial economies of Central Luzon and CALABARZON.
“The Freeport Area of Bataan has an established industrial base and a clear potential for continued growth. Our role is to ensure that its water infrastructure can support the requirements of businesses, communities, and future locators over the next 25 years,” said Ryan Wesley T. Yapkianwee, President of Tubig Pilipinas Group Inc.
FAB was named Industrial Zone of the Year for Asia-Pacific in fDi Intelligence’s 2025 Global Free Zones of the Year Awards for its expansion and investor facilitation. The zone hosts manufacturing, energy, fintech, and BPO industries, with Republic Act No. 11453 authorizing further expansion beyond its original Mariveles site.
Building water infrastructure ahead of demand
The program will expand, rehabilitate, and replace approximately 68 kilometers of pipelines, add 27 million liters per day in treatment capacity, and extend wastewater and sanitation coverage to 100% of the Freeport Area of Bataan.
It also aims to cut non-revenue water from 51% to 20% by 2039, using smart meters, leak-detection technology, SCADA, and cloud-based GIS for real-time monitoring, alongside upgrades to treatment and sanitation facilities and pollution-mitigation measures.
Tubig Pilipinas brings experience across the full water value chain, from source development and bulk supply to treatment, distribution, wastewater, metering, and customer service.
“Water infrastructure should be ready before growth accelerates,” Yapkianwee said. “Our goal through this partnership is to enhance the capacity of the Freeport Area of Bataan for expansion, while providing dependable and sustainable services to the businesses, industries, and communities reliant upon it.”
The Joint Venture Agreement was signed on July 23, 2026, in Mariveles, Bataan, witnessed by the Public-Private Partnership Center of the Philippines. Following the Notice to Proceed, the consortium will undergo a nine-month transition period before operations formally begin in May 2027.
Founded in 2014, Tubig Pilipinas has grown into a nationwide water infrastructure company, with 12 projects operating across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, five more under construction, and 13 in its development pipeline. The Bataan Freeport concession extends that footprint into one of the country’s award-winning economic zones, part of the company’s drive to become one of the largest water infrastructure companies in the Philippines.
For more information on Tubig Pilipinas and its projects, visit tubigpilipinas.com.
