PURIFIED water provider Aquapure Water Resources Inc. is expanding its operations in the countryside by opening a new plant in Barangay Agbanga in Asturias to address the growing number of micro-entrepreneurs venturing into the water refilling business.
The spring water-sourced plant has a capacity of 200 cubic meters per day or about 10,000 bottles of 20 liters of purified water per day. This is Aquapure’s seventh plant in Cebu Province.
“We are trying to disperse the purified water production, which is presently concentrated in Metro Cebu. This is one of our efforts to disperse it to the rural areas, particularly in Asturias where tourism is very promising,” said Aquapure president Lito Maderazo, adding they are pleased with the local government of Asturias for allowing investments in remote areas in the hope that it will bring growth in tourism and agribusiness in the area.
Maderazo added that the plant will initially cater to the consumers and entrepreneurs of Asturias, but he is hoping that its presence will reach neighboring towns.
Aquapure’s bulk water concept, according to Maderazo, “is not a standalone water refilling station, but it is like a water factory that we produce water in bulk and enable small entrepreneurs to distribute purified water at a very low cost without putting up the investment of a refilling station.”
“This is like a partnership between a small distributor and a water factory,” he said. “We will enable small businessmen to market even up to Tuburan and Balamban.”
According to Aquapure’s market survey, a lot of entrepreneurs in Asturias get their purified water supply from the northern part of Cebu. “So if we are able to do the production here, it will be an opportunity for entrepreneurs in Asturias as well as in Tuburan and Balamban to engage in the purified water business,” he said.
Aquapure’s new plant in Asturias is part of the company’s nationwide expansion program that started in 2017. The expansion was fueled by the growing number of enterprising Filipinos investing in water refilling stations.
The firm said setting up plants nearer to communities would allow them to grow their clients and bring down the cost of water sold in refilling stations. It will also help business owners bring down the cost of doing business as they no longer need to produce their own water but just haul it directly from Aquapure bulk water plants.
“We will sell the bulk water at P3 per five gallons,” said Maderazo, adding that they will eventually set up water depots, making it more efficient and convenient for entrepreneurs to get their water supply.
Besides Cebu, Aquapure is present in Agusan, Davao, Surigao and Tacloban. It is a subsidiary of Mactan Rock Industries. (KOC)