Noy wants master plan on Phl water sector ready by April

MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino expects the master plan on the country’s water sector to be completed by the first week of April, at the same time renewing government’s commitment to employ the best program to improve the delivery of basic services.

Aquino had asked last year the Inter-Agency Committee on the Water Sector to come up with a master plan that would effectively address all issues and concerns of the sector.

The President issued the call as he formalized, through Executive Order 62, the appointment of Public Works and Highways Secretary Rogelio Singson as the government’s water czar.

In his speech during the “Water Loss 2012 Conference and Exhibit” in Mandaluyong City yesterday, the President bared the various government initiatives to improve water supply management.

He noted the use of scientific methods and various consultations to formulate an effective plan.

“In October of 2011, after consultations with my Cabinet, I signed an executive order creating an inter-agency committee on the water sector headed by no less than the Department of Public Works and Highways secretary. The committee is tasked to design and recommend a master plan for our water sector which I am told they are finalizing right now... to Secretary and water czar Babes Singson and everyone else involved, I look forward to seeing your proposal on my desk hopefully before the end of the Lenten season,” the President said.

“We want to integrate our management of water resources from planning to developing and finally, to implementing programs. We want a totally scientific process, we want accurate data and solid analysis because only through these can we make the right decisions... Another crucial principle is in play here today as we consult with stakeholders, we want to talk to people like you and we want to hear what civil society has to say so that we can craft policies that give birth to real-life solutions,” he added.

Aquino encouraged everyone to help make the country’s water systems more efficient to ensure sufficient supply of water for the people.

“The government alone cannot improve the water sector totally, we need to engage stakeholders who are ready and willing to make our water systems in this country more efficient,” the President said.

The Water Loss 2012 meet intends to present and discuss the latest developments, strategies, techniques and applications of international best practices in non-revenue water management.

The conference is the sixth event in a series of International Water Association water loss reduction specialty conferences, following the successful Water Loss 2010 that was held in Sao Paulo, Brazil in June 2010.

Organized by the International Water Association and co-hosted by Manila Water Co. Inc. and Maynilad Water Services Inc., the conference involves water loss experts from 30 countries meeting to discuss and present technical papers on the latest trends, developments, strategies, techniques and applications of international best practices in non-revenue water management.

The President said he had to appoint a water czar to coordinate 30 different government agencies related to water.

He said the country should have an efficient management of water supply that affects the economy.

In 2006, the President said the World Bank released a study stating that developing countries were losing an estimated 45 million cubic meters of water a day through leaks. The study also said that around 30 million cubic meters of delivered water was not paid for – due to stealing, corruption, or poor metering.

The WB said that cutting these losses in half would mean providing water to an additional 90 million people, just about the total population of the entire Philippines.

“This waste is at the root of many of our problems. It leads to higher prices, which increase the financial burden on consumers, who really have no choice but to consume a basic necessity like water. If we can somehow do a better job of plugging the leaks, of rooting out the grafters, and of providing safeguards against stealing, more of our citizens will have access to water, and the financial burden on our people will be minimized,” Aquino said.

“This was also a concern of world leaders when they attended the Millennium Summit twelve years ago and crafted the Millennium Development Goals. And this is why one of the goals under Ensuring Environmental Sustainability is to give more people access to safe drinking water,” he said.

Aquino said he would want 86 percent of the Filipino people to have access to potable water by 2016.