06/10/2026
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As water demand in General Santos City continues to rise, the General Santos City Water District (GSCWD) is exploring a proposed Surface Water Project that could augment its existing water sources.
As part of its preliminary assessment, GSCWD initiated a three-day Technical Mentoring Assistance (TMA) from October 4 to 6, 2026, engaging Engr. Romeo Mangubat Diaz as mentor to provide technical guidance and share his extensive knowledge and experience in water district operations and technical development.
The mentoring brought together 35 technical personnel from the GSCWD Surface Water Committee, along with members of management.
The activity included a site visit to Makar River, where the team examined the area and discussed key considerations for water production, treatment, watershed protection, and water conveyance.
The Makar River has yet to be tapped as a source for public water supply.
A LWUA-accredited Resource Person and Subject Matter Expert, Diaz has extensive experience in providing technical guidance to water districts and has served as a resource person for various water-related seminars and technical programs.
Diaz noted that the Makar River shows potential as a source, subject to further assessment.
βIt is a good potential and can be treated using conventional water treatment methods. However, we need to protect the upstream area through proper watershed interventions. One of the main challenges will be the installation of the pipeline,β Diaz said.
General Manager Ferdinand S. Ferrer said the mentoring provided the District with valuable technical inputs as it continues to examine the proposed project.
βThe training gave us technical input for the Surface Water Project and helped us see how the technical, financial, legal, environmental, and commercial aspects are connected. We need to understand these factors to make sound project decisions,β Ferrer said.
The TMA is a mentoring initiative of GSCWD, focused on knowledge-sharing, guided learning, and strengthening the capacity of its technical team as it works through the challenges and considerations of the proposed project.
The initiative forms part of GSCWDβs continuing efforts to explore additional and sustainable water sources while strengthening the technical capability of its people to make informed decisions for the cityβs future water needs.
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