OceanaGold (Philippines), Inc. (OGP) has completed the handover of a P115-million water system to Barangay Didipio in Nueva Vizcaya, a facility capable of delivering treated water to as many as 1,500 households amid rising demand from a growing population.

"The population of Didipio has grown significantly over the years and so has the demand for reliable access to water for domestic use," OGP President and General Manager for External Affairs and Social Performance Joan D. Adaci-Cattiling said in a statement on Wednesday.

The Didipio Water System is a community project of OGP, the operator of the Didipio gold and copper mine in Northern Luzon, and the handover places the facility under the stewardship of the barangay — the smallest administrative division in Philippine local government — that hosts the mine. Capable of producing an average of 850,000 liters of treated water daily, the facility draws its supply from Napagayan Creek and comprises a seven-kilometer pipeline, a treatment plant, and a 35,000-liter reservoir.

According to OGP, Didipio's population expanded from roughly 1,350 residents in 2000 to about 5,000 in 2025. The new system is projected to meet the village's water needs for up to 50 years, a horizon sized against that growth.

The Didipio Water Service Cooperative, composed of local residents, will run and maintain the facility, while OGP will extend financial, technical, and training support through December 2027. After that date, operation and maintenance will rest with the cooperative alone. The village government, meanwhile, is expected to enact an ordinance declaring the Napagayan Watershed a protected area to help safeguard the water source — a pending step that would formalize protection of the creek the system depends on.

The project builds on a study by the University of the Philippines Geoscience Foundation, Inc. (GFI), which concluded that the mine's water sourcing and use did not affect community water sources, despite concerns among residents over long-term availability for household and livelihood needs. The study also recommended measures to improve access to treated water and support sustainable water management.

"This project translates GFI's recommendations into concrete action," Ms. Adaci-Cattiling said. "Independent science helped us better understand the community's water situation, and from there, we worked with our partners to develop infrastructure that strengthens access while protecting the water source for the long term."

Shares of OGP gained 1.47% to close at P34.50 apiece on Wednesday.

Source: BusinessWorld; reporting by Alexandria Grace C. Magno