DIDIPIO – OceanaGold (Philippines), Inc. (OGP) has officially turned over the Didipio Water System to the community, completing its final infrastructure commitment under the 2013 Memorandum of Agreement (MOA).
Construction began on February 8, 2023. The system sources raw water from Napagayan Creek, which forms part of the Napagayan Watershed, and currently brings water to around 400 households in the Didipio community, which is home to more than 800 households.
With a designed capacity to serve up to 1,500 households, the system has the potential to extend its reach and support the community’s growing water needs over the long term.
The system features a 35,000-liter (35-cubic-meter) reservoir and uses gravity-fed distribution to deliver water without a pressurized network. Its projected design life is 50 years before major repairs, although regular maintenance will remain essential to sustaining its operations.
Supporting Community Management
Following the turnover, the Didipio Water Service Cooperative (DIWASECO), a community-based cooperative, will take responsibility for the system’s operations and management.
To support the transition, OGP will provide 15 months of operational support from October 2026 to December 2027. This assistance is intended to help DIWASECO establish stable operations as it assumes responsibility for managing the infrastructure and sustaining water services.
The continued effectiveness of the system will depend on responsible management, regular maintenance, and appropriate water-quality monitoring.
The transition also underscores the importance of building local capacity to manage essential community services over time.
Completing a Long-Standing Commitment
The turnover fulfills OGP’s final infrastructure commitment under the 2013 MOA, which also covered a multipurpose gym, an administration building, a three-story educational facility, and more than 150 kilometers of roads.
Together, these infrastructure projects support different aspects of community development, including education, public facilities, connectivity, and access to essential services.
The completion of the water system marks a significant milestone in OGP’s infrastructure commitments to the Didipio community.
With the system now under DIWASECO’s management and operational support in place through December 2027, the focus shifts to maintaining reliable service and ensuring the infrastructure continues to benefit the households it serves.
For the community, the turnover represents both the completion of a long-standing commitment and a shared responsibility to sustain access to water for years to come.
