DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 7 February)—President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. urged government agencies to fast-track the completion of water projects and encouraged to tap more surface water to address the supply problem in the country.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Aboitiz Group President and CEO Sabin Aboitiz unveil the commemorative plaque during the inauguration of the Davao City Bulk Water Supply Project of Apo Agua in Barangay Gumalang, Baguio District in Davao City on Wednesday (7 February 2024). MindaNews photo by MANMAN DEJETO
During the inauguration of the Davao City Bulk Water Supply Project (DCBWSP) of the Aboitiz-led Apo Agua Infrastructura Inc. in Barangay Gumalang, Baguio District, Marcos recognized that the water supply problem is no longer a seasonal challenge but a perpetual threat brought about by climate change.
“It is for this reason that I continually stress the urgency of improving water security, and directed agencies concerned to expedite the completion of all water projects across the country,” he said.
The President said the water scarcity, which is expected to worsen during the period of El Niño, would degrade the quality of life, dampen economic activities, and can fuel disorder.
Although water scarcity is the hardest to contain of all emergencies, he said it can be prevented with “foresight, right plans, united action, and strong political will.”
“Anticipating problems instead of letting them catch us by surprise is how we approach these challenges in the Bagong Pilipinas. We prepare for contingencies, solve problems, and defuse potential crises before they occur,” he added.
Saying that the Philippines is not a “dry country,” the President discussed that the government shifted its policy encouraging the use of more surface water instead of digging wells for groundwater.
“This is very important as we have changed [the] policy and we are now starting to feel the effects of what we have been doing in the past, that is, digging wells. And our aquifers are already starting to feel the effects and they are not being replenished enough. Which is ironic because we have sufficient surface water in the Philippines,” he said.
He said the DCBWSP is a concrete step to lessen the city’s reliance on limited groundwater by tapping the Panigan-Tamugan River for additional sources to boost supply in the city.
“The facility has been delivering 300 million liters of water per day to over one million households in Davao City,” he said.
The bulk water supply project commenced operations on December 1, 2023, after a delay of three years in the project’s completion target.
A worker inspects the water treatment facility of the Apo Agua Davao City Bulk Water Supply Project. MindaNews photo by MANMAN DEJETO
The commencement of the DCBWSP’s operations benefits the Davao City Water District’s (DCWD) Calinan, Tugbok, Riverside, Dumoy, Cabantian, and Panacan water supply systems (WSSs) with Apo Agua committing to deliver 300 million liters per day through its facility.
In his speech, Sabin M. Aboitiz, president and chief executive officer of the Aboitiz Group, said the project is a “demonstration of how much can be achieved with unsolicited public-private partnerships (PPP).[]
“The success we celebrate today in Davao sets an example for our entire nation. This is the kind of PPP projects we need in other provinces.[]
