MEGAWORLD Corp. is not discouraged to continue and even expand their projects in Bacolod City amid the power and water supply woes in the city, its official said.
Harold Geronimo, public relations and communications head of Megaworld, said that power and water supply stability is one of their major considerations in bringing their projects to the city and the province.
Megaworld is currently developing its 53-hectare Northill Gateway township project situated along the Bacolod-Silay Airport Access Road.
This forms part of the company’s P35-billion investment for Negros Occidental in the next 10 years.
The other project is the Upper East, an upcoming 34-hectare mixed-use development project at the eastern side of Bacolod City that used to be the Bacolod-Murcia Milling Company compound.
Last Monday, Megaworld announced the start of the development of its 7.5-hectare Northill Town Center as one of the major components of the Northill Gateway.
In terms of power, Geronimo said the project covers the construction of substations thus, electricity would not be a major problem.
To ensure efficient water services, the firm will consider all means like tapping other water districts and water providers, he added.
“We still believe in Negros and Bacolod’s growing economic potentials thus, we are confident to invest here,” Geronimo said.
Negros Occidental and its capital city still have lots of things to offer like tourism and flourishing business process outsourcing industries, he added.
The Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MBCCI) had earlier cited that aside from Megaworld, ongoing and future developments like that of Ayala Land Inc. and Double Dragon Properties, among others, will surely add up to the water requirement of the city.
MBCCI has expressed concerns over the water supply problems as the Bacolod City Water District is currently not capable of fully delivering the demand.
MBCCI has also been urging the Central Negros Electric Cooperative to rehabilitate its distribution lines to address frequent power interruptions.
“Power and water are two main important areas that may bring in or discourage existing businesses and potential investors,” its chief executive officer Frank Carbon said.