DENR ordered to give 40 million Filipinos access to formal water supply

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday ordered the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and other government agencies to focus on serving the 40 million Filipinos with no access to formal water supplies.

The number came from the DENR, which also found that 20 million consumers were served by the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System, 22 million were serviced by water districts, 20 million through local government-ran water utilities, and 10 million from private water suppliers.

READ: Angat Dam, other water sources drying up due to lack of rainfall

“The directive of the President this morning was very clear: 40 million of our residents, Filipinos, do not have access to a formal water supply. They still access water from springs, from creeks, some even rainwater,” said DENR Usec for Integrated Environmental Science Carlos David in a Palace briefing.

“We have to focus on the 40 million unserved population and there are a few strategies we have in mind in order for us to serve water to these communities,” he added.

One of the strategies that David cited was establishing modular desalination systems in far-flung areas. The utility could turn saltwater into drinkable water.

According to David, a significant number of these underserved communities came from Mindanao, particularly in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region.

Small, isolated islands also have trouble accessing formal water systems, said David.