Water crisis blamed on past administration

MANILA, Philippines — The water shortage plaguing Metro Manila was the result of the inaction of the previous administration of President Benigno Aquino III and the former Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) management led by Gerardo Esquivel.

This was the conclusion reached by the House oversight committee that conducted a special hearing to look into the water crisis in the metropolis, thereby absolving the Duterte administration and the present MWSS leadership from culpability.

Unimplemented plan

MWSS Administrator Reynaldo Velasco said during the hearing that the Aquino administration had failed to implement a water supply master plan completed in 2012.

A University of the Philippines study conducted in 2011 had warned that as early as 2016 there would have been 57 million liters a day (MLD) deficit in supply. This deficit could balloon to 624 MLD in 2021 unless the water security infrastructure projects put in place by the present administration are vigorously pursued.

These projects include Kaliwa Dam, which was proposed in 2012 but was shelved. The project is expected to augment water supply by 600 MLD.