Ayala gets water contract

Ayala gets water contract

MANILA (Reuter): The Philippines awarded contracts for Manila's water distribution to two groups led by Ayala Corp and Benpres Holdings Corp, state-agency Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) said on Saturday.

MWSS said in a statement that Public Works Secretary Gregorio Vigilar had signed the contracts with representatives of the Ayala and Benpres consortia.

The government awarded the contracts to the winners of the January 23 MWSS bidding after the Court of Appeals lifted on Wednesday an order restraining President Fidel Ramos from proceeding with the privatization of Manila's waterworks and sewerage system.

The government had offered two 25-year concessions to run the city's waterworks system.

The consortium of Ayala, Bechtel Corp of the United States and United Utilities Plc [UU.L] of Britain won the east zone concession. The west zone was won by Benpres with France's Lyonnaise des Eaux SA [LYOE.PA]