MANILA: Indah Water Konsortium (IWK) Sdn Bhd and the Baguio City Environment and Parks Management Office (CEPMO) celebrated the successful completion of a year-long mentorship under the Asian Development Bank (ADB)’s Water Organization Partnerships for Resilience (WOP4R) program. The closing ceremony, held at the ADB Headquarters in Manila, marked a significant milestone in regional cooperation and knowledge-sharing in wastewater management.
The program, which began in November 2023, was designed to address Baguio City’s unique sewerage management challenges through the transfer of expertise from IWK, particularly in managing connected sewerage systems. The program has delivered significant outcomes, most notably CEPMO’s readiness to adopt and implement improved sewerage management practices across Baguio City.
The mentorship focused on key areas essential for advancing wastewater management, including Sewage Treatment Plant Process Monitoring, Sewer Network Maintenance, Energy Efficiency, Staff Competency Management, as well as Stakeholder Engagement.
“IWK is honoured to have mentored CEPMO through this impactful program. It reflects our commitment to sharing our 30 years of expertise to help sewage utilities overcome their unique challenges and improve the quality of life in their communities,” said Narendran Maniam, Chief Executive Officer of IWK.
Through diagnostic visit, reciprocal learning and benchmarking trip to Kuala Lumpur, and information exchange visits to Baguio City, IWK’s subject matter experts worked closely with CEPMO to enhance operational capabilities, establish best practices, and deliver technical guidance to address their challenges. The partnership concluded with a final information exchange visit that included the handover of operational SOPs and Stakeholder Engagement Plan, and a stakeholder engagement activity, featuring a community awareness initiative with high school students in Baguio City.
ADB also hosted IWK and CEPMO to a closing ceremony in which both partners shared feedbacks and lessons learned from the one year partnership to key personnel in ADB as well as other WOP4R mentors and mentees. As a token of appreciation,Satoshi Ishii, Director, Strategy & Partnerships, Water and Urban Development Sector Office of ADB, presented commemorative plaques to both IWK and CEPMO, celebrating the successful completion of the mentorship program.
“Baguio City’s unique highland landscape, with buildings constructed on mountainsides, presents distinct challenges that require specialised solutions. We are grateful that IWK has equipped us with the tools, knowledge, and confidence to overcome these operational hurdles and improve the quality of sanitation services for the people of our city," said Mr. Wilbur Suanding, Engineer IV, Wastewater and Hazardous Waste Management Division of CEPMO.
This collaboration has set a benchmark for future partnerships under ADB’s WOP4R program. WOP4R connects water entities across the globe to foster knowledge sharing, capacity building, and technical guidance, with the goal of promoting sustainability, inclusivity, and resilience. Together, the partners advance the global agenda for Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 and 11 – ensuring the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all, as well as making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.
"Bridging Asia-Pacific's $1.14 billion annual funding gap for safe water and sanitation demands innovative solutions. ADB’s Water Organizations Partnership for Resilience (WOP4R) is leading the charge—since 2006, its 83 utility mentorships across 21 countries have sparked $1.1 billion in investments," said Satoshi Ishii.
“People learn from other people. The partnership between Baguio CEPMO and IWK exemplifies this. We look forward to the day that Baguio CEPMO will also be a mentor to other utilities,” added Vivek Raman, Principal Urban Development Specialist, Strategy & Partnerships, Water and Urban Development Sector Office.
The success of the mentorship underscores the potential of regional collaboration to address shared challenges in wastewater management. IWK will continue to strengthen its capacity- building efforts, with plans to expand initiatives through its academy, Asian Sewerage Training, Research & Innovation Centre of Excellence (ASTRICE), providing advanced training and mentorship opportunities for the industry players across the region.
This content is provided by IWK.
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