FOR the longest time, water – its abundance and its severe lack – has been the problem of the nation. This statement is quite ironic because the Philippines is a tropical country blessed with rain and precipitation, and is also home to mountain ranges and hills that should store water for the burgeoning population.
The current drought has affected at least 31 provinces, mostly in Luzon, damaging crops and livestock worth several billions of pesos. Among these are in Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Cagayan, Cavite, Ifugao, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Isabela, Kalinga, La Union, Mountain Province, Nueva Ecija, and Nueva Vizcaya.
The Visayas and Mindanao were also hit by the drought, particularly in Capiz, Siquijor and Southern Leyte; Camiguin, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, Tawi-Tawi, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur and Zamboanga Sibugay.
‘The President wants a reorganization of water agencies for efficient and effective response to water-related challenges and to serve the 40 million Filipinos who do not have access to potable water.’
PAGASA said the El Niño phenomenon that caused massive drought will last until the whole of May, but there is the risk of this weather phenomenon turning full circle, with heavy rains, floods and typhoons. They call this La Niña, and weather experts say it will arrive soon.
Preparations for programs and actions intended to confront these water problems should have been done months ago, or even years ago during the Duterte administration, but it seems the government is saddled with so much problems and issues that it forgot the most basic of all on which all life depends.
President Marcos Jr and his Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) have proposed a two-pronged approach to solve the water problem. The President wants a reorganization of water agencies for efficient and effective response to water-related challenges and to serve the 40 million Filipinos who do not have access to potable water. These citizens are mostly in Muslim Mindanao.
The water situation in the unserved areas is appalling. DENR Secretary Antonia Loyzaga said the 40 million residents who do not have enough access to water supply usually ride a motor banca to fetch water from the nearest island. Realizing this, the Chief Executive called on his people to draw “a plan for the 40 million so that they have at least potable water to take in. We need to attend as much as we can, come up with a plan with the remaining 40 million who do not have an assured water supply — locally sourced water supply.”
Following this directive, DENR Undersecretary Carlos Primo David said they already have a few strategies to provide sufficient water supply to the 40 million individuals who are mostly residing in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. David said one of the strategies they have in mind for small island barangays and other coastal areas is to provide them water through the so-called desalination process which is the conversion of seawater to freshwater. He said they already have a list of 65 island-barangays where they will start the desalination process.
Desalination might work in the Philippines but only in a limited way, unlike in Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Israel. These rich countries have money to burn for the energy needed to desalinate sea water. Desalination, for us, may be useful only during natural calamities and emergency situations, but not as a permanent answer to water supply in island barangays.
The DENR, Malacañang and Congress should think of other ways to access water.
