Govt crafts roadmap to mitigate effects of El Niño, water shortage
Credit to Author: The Manila Times| Date: Tue, 02 Apr 2019 05:06:09 +0000
THE government has crafted a roadmap to mitigate the effects of the prolonged El Niño dry spell and ensure ample supply of water in the country, Malacañang said on Tuesday.
In a statement, Palace spokesman Salvador Panelo said the roadmap, which was presented during President Rodrigo Duterte’s meeting with his Cabinet in Malacañang on Monday, included the proposed creation of the Department of Water and Department of Disaster Resilience.
“We had a serious and productive April Fools’ Day as President Rodrigo Roa Duterte presided a fruitful 36th Cabinet meeting,” Panelo said.
“The Cabinet then discussed the first item on the agenda, which is mitigating the effects of El Niño and water shortage. A roadmap was presented, which included immediate, medium, and long-term interventions, such as making an intensive campaign for the conservation of water and energy, creating a Department of Water and a Department of Disaster Resilience,” he added.
The roadmap, according to Panelo, also involved “dredging of waterways, replacing tunnels and aqueducts, installing water tank systems in all Department of Health hospitals and providing funding for the establishment of water treatment plants.”
The Department of Agriculture recently announced that damage to agriculture caused by the El Niño went up further to P4.35 billion from P1.33 billion.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) reported that El Niño had peaked and would start weakening in the next months.
Several parts of Metro Manila have also been hit by water shortage following the alleged bungled management of water officials.
Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia first suggested the creation of a water department but Panelo said on March 18 that there was no need for it since the shortage in parts of Metro Manila and Rizal had been addressed.
A bill seeking for the establishment of a Department of Water, Irrigation, Sewage and Sanitation Resource Management, which would, among other duties, “manage and protect the country’s water resources” is pending in the Senate.
Meanwhile, Panelo said National Economic and Development Authority Undersecretary Adoracion Navarro, during the Cabinet meeting, presented the proposed executive order (EO) on transforming and strengthening the National Water Resources Board (NWRB).
“The EO will merge the NWRB and the River Basin Control Office into the National Water Management Council (NWMC),” Panelo said.
“This will streamline and consolidate planning and regulation of all water and river basins in the country. It will also draft a National Water Management Framework Plan,” he added. CATHERINE S. VALENTE
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