IN order to improve water supply and sanitation in the Philippines, the national government is mulling over the creation of a body or a new regulatory framework that will help manage water supply and sanitation nationwide.
At the Philippine Economic Briefing on Tuesday, Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson said the Department of Public Works and Highways and the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) are working on efforts that will improve water regulation in the country.
Singson, however, said this will entail legislation. He said this is the reason the Neda is now studying the options that are available to the government.
“[We need] to improve the coverage of water supply and sanitation services as well as to optimize water resources in the country. Us, together with Neda, [we are] looking at what is happening to the water sector,” Singson said.
“[Putting] some order in the water sector [is what] the President is so concerned about. So that we have sustainable supply and we have a sustainable business model for the water sector,” he added. The DPWH chief said currently there are more than 30 agencies in charge of various aspects of water supply and sanitation in the Philippines. However, there is no clear “regulatory framework” available in the country.
Singson added that currently the country’s water supply and sanitation is handled separately. Some have local government units or the Local Water Utilities Administration managing water districts while in others, cooperatives are in charge of water supply and sanitation.
The Philippines also has the National Water Resources Board (NWRB) under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. The NWRB is primarily tasked to manage all water bodies that are not under the purview of water districts.
It is also tasked to monitor Angat Dam, particularly when its water supply to irrigation systems need to be cut. The NWRB is also tasked to manage groundwater facilties.
“To our surprise, there are over 30 agencies involved in the water- sector utilities. So that’s what we want to work out with the Neda so that we have a coherent program for the water supply and water services,” Singson said.
“They have their own rules, there’s no regulatory framework and then to top this all, you have a problem of water supply. Water districts obviously cannot fund a huge investment in bulk [water] supply. [What they do is] get groundwater or deep well and we know that once you go into deep well, sooner or later, that’s going to run dry,” he explained.
In 2012 the interagency Infrastructure Committee (InfraCom) has received a proposal that seeks to revamp the NWRB into a council that will be chaired by President Aquino.
The InfraCom advises the President on matters concerning infrastructure development, including transportation, water supply and sanitation, flood control and drainage, telecommunication, and power generation, distribution and transmission, among others. The Neda, which acts as co-chairman of InfraCom, said the proposed National Water Resources Council was submitted for consultation with various stakeholders nationwide.
Based on the proposal received by the InfraCom, the NWRC will be composed of implementing agencies such as the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Energy and the DPWH. The only oversight agency included in the proposed council was the Neda.
The NWRB is currently co-chaired by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Neda with members such as the Department of Justice, Department of Health, Department of Finance and the University of the Philippines National Hydraulic Research Center.
Industry sources said changing the composition of the board, which is responsible for granting water rights and upholding the principles of Integrated Water Resource Management, to include water claimants such as the DA, may cause the bureau to loose its independence in carrying out its duties.
Source: Cai U. Ordinario, BusinessMirror, 17 September 2013
Comment here