Bridge water supply gap, gov’t urged
SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian urged the government to develop potential water sources to address a supply gap amid an ongoing El Niño weather phenomenon.
“Given expectations of a global supply gap in the future, the government needs to come up with a comprehensive program that would sufficiently bridge such a gap,” Gatchalian said, noting that some areas in the country are already experiencing water crises amid the ill-effects of El Niño.
The senator earlier filed Proposed Senate Resolution 691, urging the entire Philippine government to make preparations to cushion the detrimental effects of the El Niño phenomenon on all fronts, including water resources. At present, the Angat Dam in Bulacan province supplies more than 90% of Metro Manila’s water needs.
Initially, he proposed tapping Laguna de Bay as a water source for Metro Manila and adjacent areas. “Aside from Laguna de Bay, the government should explore other possible water sources that would address potential water shortage in the years ahead,” Gatchalian said.
The legislator cited the recently released UN World Water Development Report 2024, which states that increasing global water scarcity is fueling more conflicts and contributing to instability. Emphasizing that access to clean water is critical to promoting peace, the report disclosed that around 2.2 billion people across the globe have no access to clean drinking water while around 3.5 billion people lack access to safely managed sanitation as of 2022.
Currently, key local government areas experiencing water shortage include Cebu City, Zamboanga City, and the towns of Bulalacao and Mansalay in Oriental Mindoro. These localities have already declared a state of calamity in their respective areas amid water shortages.
President Marcos has earlier admitted that the country is grappling with a water crisis, which is why he has ordered the immediate completion of all water projects being undertaken. One instance is the Davao City Bulk Water Supply Project, one of the country’s largest private bulk water supply facilities.
“With or without El Niño, the need for the country to develop additional water sources is undeniable,” Gatchalian emphasized.
