The Aboitiz Group has set its sights on making significant investments in Cebu's critical water infrastructure. This move comes as a direct response to the mounting pressure on the island's existing water supply, driven by rapid urbanization, a booming real estate sector, and continuous population growth.
Addressing Metro Cebu's Critical Water Shortage
During the Cebu International Investment Summit 2026, a senior executive from the conglomerate highlighted the urgent need for new water projects. Ramon Aboitiz Tuason, the Assistant Vice President and Head of Strategy and Growth at Aboitiz InfraCapital Water, pointed out a staggering supply-demand imbalance. He revealed that Metro Cebu currently faces a water supply gap of approximately 300 million liters per day.
"We're quite keen on investing in Cebu," Tuason stated. "To put things into perspective, there is about a 300 million liters-a-day supply gap in Metro Cebu, so the demand is there. Seen from demand projections and real estate development, demand is fully going to grow, so we're quite keen on being part of the solution."
Aboitiz's Expanding Water Portfolio and Cebu's Economic Resilience
While many Filipinos link the Aboitiz name primarily to power, Tuason emphasized the group's substantial and growing footprint in the water sector. Under Aboitiz InfraCapital Water, the company has developed projects across industrial, municipal, and bulk water supply segments over the past ten years.
Its operations include end-to-end water and wastewater services in several Luzon economic estates. Notably, the company recently commissioned a desalination facility in Mactan, which supplies treated water to an industrial estate and the Mactan-Cebu International Airport.
Tuason expressed strong confidence in Cebu's economic fundamentals, which underpin the investment rationale. He noted that despite recent natural disasters, Cebu's economy grew by 7.3% in 2024, ranking it among the fastest-growing provincial economies in the Philippines. Ongoing rehabilitation and the restoration of public services are expected to maintain this positive momentum.
The Path Forward: Public-Private Partnerships
The executive highlighted the proven model of public-private partnerships (PPPs) as a key to solving Cebu's water challenges. He cited the group's successful bulk water project in Davao City as evidence that private capital and expertise can effectively expand access to reliable and affordable water.
"Water security will play an important role in elevating Cebu's position as an investment hub," Tuason asserted. "Addressing the present and future supply gap can unlock economic potential and improve the quality of life of Cebuanos."
While specific project details will be announced later, the Aboitiz Group's intention is clear. With long-standing investments in Cebu across power, infrastructure, and airports, the conglomerate now views water as the next essential pillar to support the province's sustained growth and development.
