Gov’t urged to complete delayed water projects

Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos called on the government to hasten the construction of water flagship projects, including Kaliwa and Laiban dams, to put an end to the water supply crisis gripping several areas in Metro Manila.

She also said the government should allow more concessionaires in to improve the delivery of water to consumers.

“Strengthen the government’s management of water resources, supply and delivery,” Marcos said.

“Privatization should serve the greater number of our people not a few corporations,” she added.

Kaliwa and Laiban dams, started during the Marcos regime, have been put in the back burner for no reason at all, Marcos said.

“It has been too long since these were put on the government’s development agenda during the Marcos administration,” she said.

MWSS admission

The administration senatorial candidate noted that no less than the chief regulator of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) attributed the water shortage to the failure to build alternative water sources that had been proposed as early as the Marcos regime.

Laiban Dam and the smaller 600-million-liters-per day Kaliwa Dam were shelved during past administrations.

“It is only the Duterte administration that has put in serious effort to push for our much-delayed and much-needed water projects,” she said.

Marcos expressed strong support for the Duterte administration’s efforts to revive the two dam projects and for obstacles to be resolved immediately.

“The administration should go full steam ahead in bringing Kaliwa and Laiban dams to full operation to ensure sufficient water supply,” she said. —Marlon Ramos