Ongoing construction works at the Tunnel Outlet Portal of the Kaliwa Dam Project in  Teresa, Rizal on March 28, 2023. The Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System eyes the completion of the project construction by the end of 2026 and will be operational by 2027. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

MANILA -- The National Economic and Development Board has approved the increase in the cost of the Kaliwa Dam.

NEDA said its Board, which is chaired by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., approved the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System’s request for an increase in the total project cost of the New Centennial Water Source – Kaliwa Dam Project. Also approved were the change in the project scope, and an extension of the loan validity and implementation period for the Kaliwa Dam.

"The approved change brings the total project cost to P15.3 billion. The Kaliwa Dam, designed to provide an additional 600 million liters of raw water per day, is expected to serve the National Capital Region and the provinces of Rizal and Cavite. As of December 2024, over 24.8 percent of the physical construction has been completed," NEDA said.

In 2023, the MWSS said it expected to complete the construction of Kaliwa Dam by the end of 2026 and for it to be operational by 2027.

Various groups, including environmentalists and the indigenous peoples who will be affected by the dam, have opposed its construction citing damage to the area's environment.

The government however, has said that the dam is needed to provide water to Metro Manila's growing population and needs, as the Angat Dam could no longer support the capital's water needs, especially during droughts and dry spells. Kaliwa Dam is listed as a flagship infrastructure project of the government.

NEDA said its Board also approved the updated list of the government’s Infrastructure Flagship Projects. The new list now includes a total of 207 projects, up from the previous 186, with eight high-impact and urgently needed projects already completed since 2023.