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]