PCCI forms team to help gov't stave off water crisis

MANILA, Philippines - Concerned with issues covering the country’s water resources, the country’s biggest organization of businessmen, the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) recently organized a water sub-committee that will work with government to stave off a looming water crises in different parts of the country.

Jose S. Alejandro, PCCI vice president and head of the chambers’ water and energy committees, said that the situation today could be partly a case of institutional fragmentation.

Even as the National Water Resources Board (NWRS) was designated as chief overseer of water resources, nobody in government appears to be in control because 30 different agencies are tasked to manage and develop sectoral concerns on water.

These agencies, he explained, deal with water supply, irrigation, hydropower, flood control, water management and other related concerns.

Business groups note that the lack of an economic regulator and the inadequate capacity and resources of the current resource regulator has dissuaded the entry of foreign investors in the water sector, Alejandro pointed out.

The NWRB suffers from underfunding which limits its ability to hire experts, obtain complete data for planning and management, and to regularly monitor water resources and water resource activities at the local and national levels, Alejandro, who is an engineer, added.

He further pointed out that nine major cities in the country already face the grim prospects of suffering from drinking water shortages. These include Metro Manila, Metro Cebu, Baguio City, Angeles City, Bacolod City, Iloilo City, Davao City, Cagayan de Oro and Zamboanga.

A major issue in Metro Manila and other major cities that the chamber leader observed is lack of investment in water treatment. In the case of mega Manila, the two concessioners have been too occupied in water distribution, modernizing antiquated distribution pipeline, paying less attention to wastewater treatment.

In the provinces, there was very little money invested in water management and development. From 1983 to 2003, an average of P3 million to P4 billion was given to the sector, but the bulk of that investment went only to Metro Manila.