Marcos wants reorganized gov’t functions to address water problems

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivers his message during the oath taking of the new members of Partido Federal ng Pilipinas at a hotel in Manila in this file photo taken on May 01, 2024. (KJ ROSALES/PPA POOL)

MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday said he wants a reorganization of government functions for a more efficient response to the water crisis.

Marcos was informed that there are 40 million Filipinos who do not have access to formal water resources. The President deemed this number unacceptable.

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“That’s really the main solution to that… is that we have a national plan because water is a national issue. And it has to be handled on a national scale. It cannot be done by – so, that I think remains to be a priority that we are able to reorganize the functions,” Marcos said during a sectoral meeting.

“We do the reorganization, we carry on with the hearings and put forward of our proposals in terms of our what need would like, first, if we would want the authority then we can do that immediately, but we, it’s necessary for us to have an overall plan. And, these water authorities, whatever they are, maraming overlap,” he added.

According to Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan, Marcos wanted the appropriate government agencies to merge flood mitigation efforts with water management projects.

“I think we have to integrate our flood control management programs with the other sectors so that the water that we manage in the flood control do not go to the sea directly, and to the extent possible, that we have to conserve and utilize it for the other purposes like for irrigation, water supply and power, if necessary,” said Bonoan.