With a rated capacity of 5 MLD, the facility treats brackish water from a lagoon using reverse osmosis and advanced filtration systems, supplying potable water to 42 locators and 12,000 employees in the MEZ2 Estate, as well as the Mactan-Cebu International Airport—the country’s busiest gateway outside Metro Manila—which is expected to serve 12 million passengers in 2025.
Making a difference
“As Lapu-Lapu City continues to rapidly develop, water security becomes even more critical. We must be proactive in our approach and utilize all available water sources to deliver reliable and safe water supply where it is needed,” said Eduardo Aboitiz, AIC vice president and head of water.
Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Cynthia Chan commended AIC Water for “this forward-thinking investment” in transforming brackish water into potable water that now serves both the MEZ2 Estate and the Mactan-Cebu International Airport.
“This is innovation that truly makes a difference,” she said.
Among those who attended the inauguration were Councilor Jasmine Chan; Mactan Economic Zone 1 (MEZ1) manager Arnel Suyu; MEZ2 Zone manager Rufino San Juan IV; Lapu-Lapu Chamber of Commerce board member Aldwin Dumago; and 560th Air Base Group Lt. Kyle Mabbayad, representing Base Commander Col. Nomar Alinsangan of the Philippine Air Force.
Responding to calamities
Ahead of its formal inauguration, MEZ2 Desal began operations in June 2025 and played a critical role in supporting the water needs of Oponganons and Cebuanos during a magnitude 6.9 earthquake in September and Typhoon “Tino” in November.
Following both calamities, the facility delivered more than 500,000 liters of potable water to the cities of Lapu-Lapu, Cebu, Mandaue, Talisay, and Danao, as well as the municipalities of Asturias, Liloan, and Balamban, according to AIC.
Bulk water treatment facility
Founded in 2015, AIC is the Aboitiz Group’s infrastructure investment platform, developing and operating critical assets across airports, water and wastewater, and digital infrastructure.
AIC Water, meanwhile, develops and operates a portfolio of water assets with a combined capacity of about 320 MLD across bulk and industrial water.
It operates the country’s largest bulk water treatment facility through Apo Agua Infrastructura, Inc. in Davao City, delivers end-to-end water and wastewater services across Aboitiz Economic Estates nationwide, and holds a stake in Balibago Waterworks, the country’s fourth-largest water concessionaire. —Connie Fernandez-Brojan | Ed: Corrie S. Narisma
