DENR rules out water rationing but urges conservation
Underscoring the plight of some 40 million Filipinos who lack formal water supply, President Marcos on Tuesday ordered the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and related agencies to develop an integrated water resource masterplan.
Mr. Marcos directed the DENR to implement effective water management strategies, especially in addressing El Niño-induced water scarcity and La Niña-related flooding, DENR Undersecretary Carlos David said.
“The directive of the President this morning was very clear—40 million of our residents, of Filipinos, do not have access to a formal water supply. They still access water from springs, from creeks, some even rainwater—they rely on rainwater for drinking water purposes,” said David, who heads the department’s National Water Resource Board.
“We have to focus on the 40 million underserved population and there are a few strategies that we have in mind in order for us to provide water to these communities,” the DENR official added.
While the majority of the 40 million Filipinos who have issues with water supply reside in Mindanao, particularly in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), dams in parts of Luzon are also drying up amid the El Niño phenomenon.
As of May 6, Angat Dam’s level stood at 185.65 meters above sea level (masl), lower than its normal water level of 212 masl.
Angat Dam supplies 97 percent of the water demands for Metro Manila and provides irrigation for farmers in Bulacan and Pampanga.
David said the DENR plans to decrease water allocation to Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System through its concessionaires Maynilad and Manila Water by May 16.
He said by May 20 or 21, the water level at Angat Dam will dip to its minimum operating level of 180 meters.
Despite the reduced allocation, he assured consumers there will be no water interruptions even with a lowered allocation of 49 cubic meters per second.
MWSS spokesperson Patrick Dizon said they are poised to borrow 2 cubic meters of water from the National Irrigation Authority to augment water supply in the metropolis following an advisory from the National Water Regulatory Boardreducing water allocation in the second half of May.
“This will not in any way affect our farmers since rice cropping is at its peak in Bulacan and there’s no immediate use for irrigation water in the province,” he said.
He confirmed the NWRB has reduced water allocation from Angat Dam to 49 million liters (mld) starting May 16 until the end of the month.
“We just need to hurdle this until the summer months. By June and July, the rainy season starts, we can use impounded water even as our water allocation from Angat remains at a reduced level,” Dizon added.
Manila Water said it will continue to monitor water supply and demand in its concession area until next week before it can issue guidelines for a final distribution scheme to its customers in the East Zone.
Maynilad Water Services Inc. has yet to issue a statement.
At the Upper House, David told Senator Grace Poe that the functions of the different agencies dealing with water resources should be consolidated, if not streamlined.
“The root of our water crisis is actually a crisis in regulation. The problem is not that we don’t have resources but that we do not effectively manage our resources,” Poe said. “Our problem is the system,” she said.
Senator JV Ejercito, for his part, expressed concern over the periodic water shortages in Metro Manila.
During the public hearing on proposals to create the Department of Water Resources and the Water Regulatory Commission yesterday, Ejercito asked the MWSS if Laiban Dam and Kaliwa Dam would be operational by 2028.
“The (main) source of water for Metro Manila is still the Angat dam. Finally, we will have a second source of water. When will the Laiban dam be operational?” the senator said.
MWSS administrator Leonor Cleofas, for her part, said Metro Manila will be able to enjoy water from the Kaliwa and Laiban dams by 2027.
MWSS said the completion of the Kaliwa Dam will lower Metro Manila’s reliance on Angat to 70 percent.
As for immediate solutions, David said concerned agencies are planning to address the water scarcity through the desalination process.
“The first strategy we thought of for small island barangays, and we’re already set on it, we’ve started this program, is to provide them with fresh water, drinking water through the desalination process,” David said.
“Over the years, the technology has improved tremendously and now we have what are called the modular desalination systems,” he added.
A mapping and inventory exercise earlier conducted by the DENR revealed significant disparities in access to formal water supply systems across the nation.
According to the DENR findings, approximately 20 million individuals are served by the Metropolitan MWSS, while another 22 million rely on water districts.
Furthermore, around 20 million people access water through LGU-run utilities and 10 million are served by private water supply providers.
The DENR through its Water Resources Management Office (WRMO) earlier issued a bulletin, directing the management of golf courses based in Metro Manila and parts of Rizal to implement water conservation measures amid the prevailing extremely hot weather and drought conditions.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline Marcos tasks DENR to implement strategies vs water scarcity