- Baguio city in the Philippines is driving forward plans for sustainable and inclusive water security solutions.
- GCIEP recently delivered a workshop and consultation to gather feedback from city stakeholders and citizens on project designs.
- This helped refine investment models and underscored community support for projects that address critical water supply and access challenges.
The GCIEP team presents progress on the Baguio Water Supply Project.
In August 2025, Baguio city in the Philippines hosted a public-private partnership (PPP) workshop and a multi-stakeholder consultation focused on driving forward plans for sustainable and inclusive water security solutions.
Baguio is a mountainous city of around 500,000 people which faces water security challenges, driven by rapid urbanisation, climate change and inadequate infrastructure.
The Green Cities, Infrastructure and Energy Programme (GCIEP) is working with Baguio City Local Government and water utilities to improve the enabling environment for water supply infrastructure.
The financial aspects of this are being designed in cooperation with the Philippines government’s PPP Center to attract private sector investment. This could support micro-water associations in the city that provide water to residents in areas that are difficult to serve.
On 19 and 20 August, GCIEP organized a two-day workshop to involve city stakeholders in developing a PPP structure that supports bankable and sustainable water supply solutions. The workshop gathered participants from the Baguio City Local Government, Baguio Water District and the PPP Center to actively co-create a preferred investment model.
By collaboratively evaluating four different PPP options against key criteria, stakeholders selected a preferred structure and developed strategies to manage and allocate risks between the public and private sectors.
Following the workshop, GCIEP facilitated a multistakeholder consultation to present the initial concept design of the proposed water supply project and gather feedback on environmental and social safeguards.
The event brought together a diverse group of representatives from Baguio city, neighbouring municipalities, government agencies and Indigenous Peoples’ groups.
Participants expressed strong support for the project's potential and praised the inclusive and consultative approach. The feedback provided will play a critical role in refining the project design to ensure it delivers long-term, inclusive and sustainable benefits. Key recommendations focused on safeguarding the rights of Indigenous Peoples, ensuring sustainable water sourcing and generating local employment.
More images from recent Baguio-GCIEP stakeholder events:
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Published
11/09/25