OCEANAGOLD (Philippines), Inc. (OGP) has turned over a P115-million water system in Barangay Didipio, Nueva Vizcaya that can supply treated water to as many as 1,500 households, addressing rising demand from a growing population.
“The population of Didipio has grown significantly over the years and so has the demand for reliable access to water for domestic use,” OGP President and General Manager for External Affairs and Social Performance Joan D. Adaci-Cattiling said in a statement on Wednesday.
The Didipio Water System is a community project of OGP, which operates the Didipio gold and copper mine in Northern Luzon.
The facility can produce an average of 850,000 liters of treated water a day. It draws water from Napagayan Creek and includes a seven-kilometer pipeline, a treatment plant and a 35,000-liter reservoir.
OGP said Didipio’s population increased from about 1,350 in 2000 to about 5,000 in 2025. The system is expected to meet the village’s water needs for up to 50 years.
The Didipio Water Service Cooperative, whose members are local residents, will operate and maintain the facility. OGP will provide financial, technical and training support until December 2027.
The village government is expected to pass an ordinance declaring the Napagayan Watershed a protected area to help safeguard the water source.
OGP said the project followed a study by the University of the Philippines Geoscience Foundation, Inc., (GFI), which found that the mine’s water sourcing and use did not affect community water sources, despite residents’ concerns about long-term water availability for household and livelihood needs.
The study recommended steps to improve access to treated water and support sustainable water management.
“This project translates GFI’s recommendations into concrete action,” Ms. Adaci-Cattiling said. “Independent science helped us better understand the community’s water situation, and from there, we worked with our partners to develop infrastructure that strengthens access while protecting the water source for the long term.”
OGP shares rose 1.47% to P34.50 each on Wednesday. — Alexandria Grace C. Magno