Ex-VP Binay urges gov’t to look for new water sources to avert water shortage

Former Vice President and senatorial candidate Jejomar Binay returns the salute given by a boy during a recent campaign sortie in Zambales.

MANILA, Philippines — Government should immediately look for new sources of water to meet the demands of a growing population and avert a possible water shortage, former Vice President and senatorial candidate Jejomar Binay said today.

Binay, who is running for senator under the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), made the proposal after the Manila Water and Sewerage System (MWSS) and the National Irrigation Authority (NIA) said they have prepared measures to mitigate a possible shortage in water supply.

In a recent bulletin, the MWSS said P65.7 million in fund support for the NIA’s mitigation programs “will ensure that domestic supply from Angat Dam is (secured) and will also sustain the social and economic well-being of MWSS customers.”

The agencies will also promote water conservation and conduct cloud seeding operations within the Angat, Dam, Ipo, and La Mesa watersheds.

Binay said government would need to enter into more Public-Private Partnership (PPP) programs to meet the country’s water needs.

Aside from finding new water sources, Binay said sufficient funding would be needed for new water projects.

“This would make PPPs a viable option for government,” he added.

Binay said new water system structures should be resilient to typhoons and other natural disasters, considering the growing threat of climate change.

The former vice president said these concerns needed to be addressed if government intends to meet the global target of having clean water and sanitation for all by 2030.

He cited a join report by the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) which said only 47.46 per cent of Filipinos had access to safely managed drinking water in 2020.

“We have more than half the population without access to clean drinking water. This needs to be addressed soon as this also has implications on public health,” he said.

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EDV