ADB to provide $123m loan to improve Manila water supply

The Asian Development Bank will provide a $123.3 million loan to the Philippines to improve water supply in the capital, Manila, according to an announcement on Monday.

The ADB’s loan will go towards to reducing the risk of water shortages as the demand for water increases in the megacity.

The ADB, which is based in Manila, said the loan will enable the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System to upgrade existing tunnels.

Paul van Klaveren, senior urban development specialist with ADB's Southeast Asia Department, said: "The Angat transmission system provides more than 95 per cent of Manila's water but its existing tunnels are up to 75 years old and in poor condition, leaving the metropolitan area highly vulnerable to serious supply disruptions."