THERE was more to the recent cases of cholera in Iloilo city and province, and Bacolod City. They also brought to fore our concern for safe drinking water.
The hard truth is that water is a very basic need yet we still have communities that have no access to clean and potable water.
Water also affects our food security as agriculture accounts for much of our water consumption, which makes it vital for us to protect our watersheds. The issue of open defecation is likewise a national sanitation and health concern, which can be addressed if all Filipinos have access to clean water. Data from the Department of Health shows that around eight million Filipinos still openly defecate as they have no access to sanitary facilities.
Water is a very valuable resource. While 71 percent of the Earth is covered by water, 97 percent of this is ocean water, 2.5 percent is frozen water and only 0.5 percent is suitable for human consumption. A study by the World Resources Institute revealed that the Philippines will likely experience severe water shortage by 2040 due to the combined impact of rapid population growth and climate change. Furthermore, the Philippines ranks 57 out of 167 countries that are highly vulnerable to severe water shortage.
It’s high time the government takes a closer look at its water program. Does it even have a roadmap for sustainable water use? Does it, among other laws related to water, strictly implement the Rainwater Collection and Harvesting Act which requires the building of catchments in homes and public and private buildings, so that rainwater can later be used for cleaning, watering gardens, and other industrial purposes?
The continued overlapping and fragmented regulation of water supply services in the country by several government entities could be a factor that hinders the enactment of a doable and long-term solution to prevent water shortage. We must reform the water industry itself and lay down a roadmap to ensure water security for the country.
Clean water is a human right and the State must ensure that the water in our lakes, rivers and other sources of freshwater reaches our faucets and is fully maximized. Every citizen must have access to potable water but this must be sustained in the long-term.
