Anthony “AJ” Violago has long been a familiar name in Manila’s high society, appearing in society pages, diplomatic gatherings, charity events and high-profile celebrations.
But beneath the Forbes Park parties and lifestyle headlines is a far more consequential business connection: the Wawa Bulk Water Supply Project, one of the Philippines’ major private-sector water infrastructure ventures.
Public records and corporate announcements identify Violago as president and CEO of San Lorenzo Ruiz Builders and Developers Group Inc. (SLRB), the family-linked company that partnered with Enrique Razon Jr.’s Prime Infrastructure Capital Inc. in developing the Wawa project through WawaJVCo.
That makes AJ Violago more than simply a fixture of Manila’s social circuit. His name is tied to a major infrastructure project designed to strengthen Metro Manila’s long-term water security.
The Wawa Connection
The Wawa Bulk Water Supply Project traces back to a partnership between SLRB and Prime Infra.
Phase 1, the Tayabasan Weir in Antipolo, was inaugurated in December 2022 and was designed to deliver an initial 80 million liters of raw water per day. Prime Infra identified SLRB and its leadership, including AJ Violago, as partners in the project.
The larger ambition was the Upper Wawa Dam, which forms the second phase of the project.
In July 2024, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. led the impounding process ceremony for the Upper Wawa Dam in Rizal. The government said the project was expected to provide up to 710 million liters per day of water-supply capacity and benefit more than 700,000 households, or about 3.5 million Filipinos.
The project includes a reservoir of roughly 450 hectares with storage capacity of up to 120 million cubic meters, according to Prime Infra.
The numbers put the Violago family’s business connection into a very different perspective: Wawa is not simply another property development. It is part of the country’s broader effort to diversify Metro Manila’s water sources.
A Partnership With Enrique Razon’s Prime Infra
The other major name attached to the project is billionaire businessman Enrique Razon Jr., whose Prime Infra is focused on infrastructure investments including water, energy and waste management.
Government and company records describe WawaJVCo as a joint venture involving Prime Infra and San Lorenzo Ruiz Builders and Developers Group.
The project was also designed to work alongside Prime Infra’s planned 600-megawatt Wawa Pumped Storage Power Project, creating a broader water-and-energy infrastructure complex in Rizal.
That partnership is arguably the most important part of AJ Violago’s public business profile.
From Builders to Water Infrastructure
San Lorenzo Ruiz Builders is associated with the Violago family and has interests extending beyond traditional construction and development.
The company itself describes its involvement in Wawa as an effort aimed at addressing recurring water shortages, while identifying WawaJVCo as the vehicle through which the project is being developed.
Government records and project announcements have repeatedly identified AJ Violago alongside his father, Oscar Violago, in connection with the Wawa development.
In 2024, for example, Prime Infra listed Oscar Violago as chairman of SLRB and Anthony AJ Violago as president, during the Upper Wawa Dam milestone attended by President Marcos and senior government officials.
The Forbes Park and Society-Pages Side
That business story exists alongside another side of AJ Violago’s public image: his long-standing presence in Manila’s social and diplomatic circles.
Philippine lifestyle publications have repeatedly featured him at major private gatherings, cultural events and diplomatic functions.
In 2024, The Philippine Star reported on an elaborate Forbes Park celebration for Oscar Violago’s 80th birthday, where AJ and his siblings organized a surprise appearance by international singer Paul Anka.
Other society coverage has placed AJ Violago at events involving diplomats, business figures, artists and prominent Manila personalities. The Philippine Star, for example, previously reported on a dinner he co-hosted with the French ambassador that brought together prominent figures from the diplomatic and cultural communities.
More recently, Manila Bulletin described AJ Violago as a real estate and infrastructure businessman in its coverage of a 2026 diplomatic event marking the Philippines-Japan relationship.
That helps explain why his name can appear in both business and society coverage: his public profile sits at the intersection of family business, infrastructure, philanthropy and Manila’s established social network.
What About the Fast Cars?
The lifestyle angle — including references to fast cars and luxury — is part of the image surrounding Violago in society coverage.
But there is an important distinction for readers: specific claims about his personal car collection, individual vehicles, valuations or ownership should not be treated as independently established facts unless supported by reliable documentation.
The stronger, verifiable story is the one behind the lifestyle headlines: AJ Violago is publicly associated with a family business that became a partner in one of the Philippines’ most significant water infrastructure projects.
Why AJ Violago Matters Beyond the Society Pages
The Wawa project gives the Violago name relevance beyond Manila’s social scene.
Metro Manila has historically depended heavily on Angat Dam, making additional water sources a strategic concern as the population and economy continue to grow.
The Philippine government has described Upper Wawa as an important component of its water-security strategy. During the 2024 impounding ceremony, officials emphasized the project’s role in creating additional dependable water supply while also highlighting watershed protection and environmental management.
The project is also significant because of its scale.
Prime Infra said Upper Wawa could provide up to 710 million liters per day, while the company’s earlier project announcements described the second phase as capable of supplying hundreds of millions of liters daily once completed.
In other words, the Wawa connection places AJ Violago in a business story involving water security, infrastructure investment, private-public cooperation and Metro Manila’s future supply needs.
The Bigger Picture
AJ Violago may be photographed at exclusive dinners, cultural events and high-profile gatherings, but those images tell only one part of the story.
The more consequential chapter is happening in Rizal.
Through San Lorenzo Ruiz Builders and its partnership with Prime Infra, the Violago family became connected to the development of infrastructure intended to deliver a major new source of water to Metro Manila.
That makes the real question less about who was at the latest Forbes Park party or what car was parked outside.
It is this:
How much bigger could the Violago family’s infrastructure footprint become as Wawa moves from a massive construction project into an operating piece of the Philippines’ water-security system?
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