Congress must address water problem seriously
“WHAT is the future of our country if we do not have water?”
This was the question raised by Senator Pia Cayetano, chairperson of the Committee on Sustainable Development Goals, Innovation and Futures Thinking, as she appealed for Congress to support in ensuring people’s access to clean water.
Cayetano, in her privilege speech, cited the connection of lack of access to clean water to the country’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), particularly SDG 3, Good Health and Well-being; SDG 5, Gender Equality; SDG 6, Clean Water and Sanitation; and SDG 10, Reduced Inequalities.
Cayetano pointed out that the Philippines, being a signatory to the United Nations (UN) 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, is committed to integrating the SDGs into the national development plans and policies.
“So your honors, it is important that when we think of clean water and sanitation, we must also see it through a gender lens. Like most crises, the effects are never gender-neutral, and the effects on women are proportionally higher than men,” Cayetano said in her speech delivered in commemoration of World Water Day.
Sen. Grace Poe supported the call of Cayetano as she insisted on the need to create a water management office while the bills in Congress were being threshed out.
“This is a timely intervention from the Executive which will hopefully alleviate the creeping water crisis in the country. As an archipelago surrounded [by] water, it is ironic that we have a water crisis [on] our hands due to fragmented resource management. Currently, at least thirty line agencies are tasked with the administration of water in the country, resulting [in] policy and regulatory conflicts among these agencies,” Poe said during the interpellation.
Both Poe and Cayetano maintain that the water problem must be addressed by Congress “seriously.”
“We expect that this development lays down the groundwork for a more integrated and holistic approach to the water problem. A whole-of-government approach is also necessary to tackle the issues of sourcing and misuse of water in the country. Both the legislative and executive departments are working hard at a more lasting solution in the form of a new water reform bill to ensure sufficient, clean, and affordable water for all Filipinos,” Poe said.
