Marcos signs EO creating Office for Water Management
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed an executive order creating an "Office for Water Management" to address the "water crisis".
"I just signed an executive order wherein we have created the Office of Water Management. There are many agencies that are involved in water supply and water management and it has just evolved that way. But what we are going to try to do is to make it a more cohesive policy so that there is planning at the national level and in that way we can maximize the management of what water we have," Marcos said in his speech in Pasay City on Thursday,
Marcos said "we are facing some serious challenges and we really need to work very hard together."
"I was very surprised in the past years, even as senator, even as governor, that no one was speaking about water problems. Whereas every single urban community and even some rural communities in the Philippines have a water crisis," he said.
The creation of the Office of Water Management, Marcos said, will help reduce loopholes in the government's water policies.
"There are many agencies that are involved in water supply and water management and it has just evolved that way," Marcos said.
"It’s something that we have continually postponed. We do not examine it. We do not look at it, just find other ways and put up with the idea that once in a while we’ll have to pull out our buckets and fill our bathtubs with water because there’s not going to be water for the next 24 hours," he added.
In a statement, Senator Grace Poe welcomed the government's creation of a water management office "while the bills in Congress are being threshed out."
"This is a timely intervention from the Executive which will hopefully alleviate the creeping water crisis in the country," she said.
"We expect that this development lays down the groundwork for a more integrated and holistic approach to the water problem. A whole-of-government approach is also necessary to tackle the issues of sourcing and misuse of water in the country," she added.
As an archipelago surrounded with water, Poe stressed that "it is ironic that we have a water crisis in our hands due to a fragmented resource management".
"Currently, at least 30 line-agencies are tasked with the administration of water in the country resulting to policy and regulatory conflicts among these agencies," she said.
"Both the legislative and executive departments are working hard at a more lasting solution in the form of a new water reform bill to ensure sufficient, clean, and affordable water for all Filipinos.
However, Marcos also expressed optimism as he emphasized the technologies and desire of both the private sector and the local government to provide water supply to the public.
"Again, I am optimistic because when I look around and I see the technologies and the desire for every ? both in the local governments, both in the private sector ? the desire to be able to provide this water supply, then, that’s where my optimism comes from," he said.
"And again, I know that you are all experienced and are all committed to making, giving our people the water supply, fresh water supply that they need, and we’ll work together on that. It will not be the work of a day or of a week, but we will start now and we will continue until it’s done," he added. Robina Asido/DMS
