Ex-DPWH head backs creation of water department

March 28, 2019 | 10:22 pm

Past and present government officials are supporting the creation a Department of Water to serve as the one entity to oversee the operations of various agencies, a former Cabinet official said.

“I strongly suggest that we advocate… the creation of a Department of Water for more coherent, long-term plans and programs to manage our country’s biggest renewable resource next to air and the sun,” according to Rogelio L. Singson, Meralco PowerGen Corp. (MGen) president and chief executive officer.

Mr. Singson, a former Secretary of Public Works, made the statement during a forum hosted by the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF) on Thursday.

Based on his count, Mr. Singson said there are at least “30 government agencies and instrumentalities” involved in water, each protective of their own turf and mandate, but with no single entity in charge.

“Creating a Department of Water, I believe, will be a game changer to address disasters caused by flooding, landslides, siltation, potable water shortages and with proper government funding. Or at the very least, if not a department, a strong agency with enough government clout and with somebody in charge,” he said.

Calls to create an overall water agency have come up after customers of Manila Water Co., Inc. experienced massive water service interruptions starting early this month, which prompted Metro Manila’s east zone concessionaire to announce a one-time bill waiver.

Mr. Singson said if the country properly manages its water resources, it could avoid loss of life, damage to property due to flooding and landslides, and prevent a water supply crisis. It could also have enough water to irrigate farmland and maximize the capacity of hydroelectric power plants.

“Yet we can’t seem to learn as these problems keep recurring almost in a cycle as sure as we will experience El Niño, La Niña every so often,” he said.

Mr. Singson said he had worked with the Department of Science and Technology (DoST) and Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) to complete about masterplans for the country’s six major rivers to mitigate flooding and conserve water.

DoST Undersecretary Renato U. Solidum, Jr. said creating a new department should not be viewed simply from the perspective of adding more people or adding another organization, but the goal should be to make the activities and actions of the government more efficient.

“It is easier to have a coordinated effort if organizations related to water are under one roof rather than… heads of these various groups deciding independently,” he said in an interview.

He said global warming could have an impact on the distribution and supply of water, while also affecting the energy sector through hydropower as well as agriculture and public health.

Guillermo M. Luz, PDRF chief resilience officer, said the business sector has been backing the creation of a Department of Water for some time now.

“We can’t have over 30 agencies managing the water situation across the country. No one really knows who’s in charge, which agency is the in-charge agency, and which jurisdictions are overlapping. So I think it’s kind of practical to move to a single agency and manage water resources on a national basis,” he said.

Before his present post, Mr. Luz was the private sector’s link to the government in drafting initiatives to advance the ease of doing business. PDRF, a private sector vehicle and coordinator for disaster resilience, aims to contribute to the sustainable development and general welfare of Filipinos.

Emmanuel M. de Guzman, secretary and vice-chairperson of the Philippine Climate Change Commission, said he was holding off coming up with a position on the creation of a Department of Water until “we appreciate where we are right now and what is really needed to strengthen water governance in the country.”

“I couldn’t say outright now unless I see the justifications and the whole picture of where we are right now in terms of water governance. I know there are ongoing studies, but they have not been really concluded yet. There are policy reviews going on and also a review of the existing arrangements for water governance,” he said.

“But from what I heard, there really is fragmentation among water sector stakeholders,” he added. — Victor V. Saulon

Source: https://www.bworldonline.com/ex-dpwh-head-backs-creation-of-water-department/