Ayala Land Inc.’s Lio Estate in El Nido, Palawan is expanding its water infrastructure with a seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) facility that will produce up to 500 cubic meters of potable water daily as the estate prepares for further tourism, residential and commercial development.
“As Lio continues to grow, we want to make sure our infrastructure is always a step ahead of demand, not catching up to it,” Cris Zuluaga, head of Ayala Land Leisure Estates said.
“This facility is part of that long-term view — strengthening what we already have in place and preparing Lio for the years ahead,” he added.
The facility is expected to begin operations in August 2027 and provide an additional source of water supply for the estate, which currently relies on its own groundwater wells.
The project is being developed and will be operated by Estate Water, a division of Manila Water Philippine Ventures Inc.
Ayala Land said the facility will support both Lio Estate’s current requirements and planned developments, including the Balai Adlao Expansion, Tara Hostel, estate support facilities, additional retail offerings and Sitio Aplaya, its newest residential-commercial district.
The SWRO facility will treat seawater to produce potable water designed to meet the Philippine National Standards for Drinking Water and applicable regulatory requirements.
The company said the project will also comply with required environmental permits and safeguards during construction and operation.
Rubenson Cruz, technical services head of Estate Water, said the additional source would strengthen the estate’s water supply reliability, particularly during periods of higher demand.
“The SWRO facility provides an additional source of supply that will strengthen Lio’s overall water security and help ensure greater reliability, particularly during periods of increased demand,” he added.
Ayala Land said adding seawater desalination to Lio Estate’s water supply system would diversify its sources, and help ease pressure on its groundwater resources as demand increases.
On Monday. ALI’s share price rose by 18 centavos to close at P15.18 each.
