THE Philippines yearly wastes about $240 billion worth of recyclable water from rainfall due to the lack of water catchment basins in the country, said Carlos Vasquez, Unicef (United Nations Children’s Fund) Philippines chief of its climate, environment and resilience program.
During The Manila Times’ “Roundtable” hosted by Chief Executive Officer Dante Ang II, Vasquez on Thursday said “there is a wealth of technology existing in the Philippines” to provide potable and safe water, especially in remote areas.
The Unicef Philippines chief said WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) practices are essential for children’s survival and well-being.
Carlos Vasquez, Unicef Philippines’ chief of Climate, Environment, and Resilience. PHOTO BY J. GERARD SEGUIA
“Our mandate is to protect the rights of the child,” Vasquez said.
He said the Philippines could recycle the rainfall so that Filipinos would have access to clean and potable drinking water. He said that access to clean water could also address hygiene and sanitation problems, especially in remote provinces.
“If you look at the amount of rainwater in the Philippines and you put a price tag to it… or the amount of money falling from the sky’… this is about $240 billion worth of water in the Philippines [yearly] alone that can be used,” Vasquez said.
“That’s a lot of money that could be invested into socio-services. If you ask me the amount of water [that was being] recycled? [It’s] nearly nothing,” the Unicef official said.
“So, my quest is with the Department of Education. [I’m] trying to change the school design so that gutters and rainwater collection systems are installed in the 47,000 schools in the Philippines,” Vasquez added.
Unicef, he said, has also signed a work plan with the Department of Science and Technology (DoST) to tap its desalination technology to allow residents in Tawi-Tawi access to clean drinking water. He noted that Tawi-Tawi recorded the highest clean water deprivation level in the country.
Vasquez said the DoST has a technology and solution for rainwater collection systems. “So, we’re partnering with them and see how far we can integrate their technology into the work that we do when it comes to WASH.”
He expressed hope that “with technology and out of the box thinking we could reduce the cost and find solutions that are cost effective.”
He supports the proposal to create a Department of Water to address all issues related to water management.
“It would be interesting to see if the [proposed] department becomes a reality,” Vasquez said.
Senate President Francis Escudero said the passage of the bill creating the Department of Water will be given priority.
Sen. Grace Poe in May warned the shortage being felt in some provinces could happen again if water resources are not managed properly.
The senator reiterated the need to pass Senate Bill (SB) 102 creating a Department of Water Resources that will lead and consolidate efforts in the development and management of water resources in the country.
Poe, former chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Services, said SB 102 is one of the administration’s priority measures. It aims to put in place robust policies that will help address the country’s water woes.
“We will endeavor to pass this definitely by this Congress because we have to, this is crucial,” Poe said.
“The root of our water crisis is actually a crisis in regulation. The problem is not that we don’t have resources but that we do not effectively manage our resources,” Poe said.
She said that at least 131 cities and municipalities from Ilocos Norte to Cotabato have suffered immense water shortage and declared a state of calamity.
The National Economic and Development Authority estimated that out of 1,486 municipalities, about 332 that are mostly in the poorest provinces are considered waterless.
Poe said that “taps of households and businesses are dry during the El Niño season despite the presence of abundant water resources all over the archipelago.”
Carlos Vasquez, Unicef Philippines’ chief of climate, environment, and resilience, is interviewed by The Manila Times’ Chairman and CEO, Dante ‘Klink’ Ang 2nd, during a roundtable on water and sanitation at the TMT Newsroom in Intramuros, Manila, on Aug. 15, 2024. PHOTOS BY J. GERARD SEGUIA
Carlos Vasquez, Unicef Philippines’ chief of climate, environment, and resilience, is interviewed by The Manila Times’ Chairman and CEO, Dante ‘Klink’ Ang 2nd, during a roundtable on water and sanitation at the TMT Newsroom in Intramuros, Manila, on Aug. 15, 2024. PHOTOS BY J. GERARD SEGUIA
Carlos Vasquez, Unicef Philippines’ chief of climate, environment, and resilience, is interviewed by The Manila Times’ Chairman and CEO, Dante ‘Klink’ Ang 2nd, during a roundtable on water and sanitation at the TMT Newsroom in Intramuros, Manila, on Aug. 15, 2024. PHOTOS BY J. GERARD SEGUIA
Carlos Vasquez, Unicef Philippines’ chief of climate, environment, and resilience, is interviewed by The Manila Times’ Chairman and CEO, Dante ‘Klink’ Ang 2nd, during a roundtable on water and sanitation at the TMT Newsroom in Intramuros, Manila, on Aug. 15, 2024. PHOTOS BY J. GERARD SEGUIA
Carlos Vasquez, Unicef Philippines’ chief of climate, environment, and resilience, is interviewed by The Manila Times’ Chairman and CEO, Dante ‘Klink’ Ang 2nd, during a roundtable on water and sanitation at the TMT Newsroom in Intramuros, Manila, on Aug. 15, 2024. PHOTOS BY J. GERARD SEGUIA
Carlos Vasquez, Unicef Philippines’ chief of climate, environment, and resilience, is interviewed by The Manila Times’ Chairman and CEO, Dante ‘Klink’ Ang 2nd, during a roundtable on water and sanitation at the TMT Newsroom in Intramuros, Manila, on Aug. 15, 2024. PHOTOS BY J. GERARD SEGUIA
Carlos Vasquez, Unicef Philippines’ chief of climate, environment, and resilience, is interviewed by The Manila Times’ Chairman and CEO, Dante ‘Klink’ Ang 2nd, during a roundtable on water and sanitation at the TMT Newsroom in Intramuros, Manila, on Aug. 15, 2024. PHOTOS BY J. GERARD SEGUIA
Carlos Vasquez, Unicef Philippines’ chief of climate, environment, and resilience, is interviewed by The Manila Times’ Chairman and CEO, Dante ‘Klink’ Ang 2nd, during a roundtable on water and sanitation at the TMT Newsroom in Intramuros, Manila, on Aug. 15, 2024. PHOTOS BY J. GERARD SEGUIA
Carlos Vasquez, Unicef Philippines’ chief of climate, environment, and resilience, is interviewed by The Manila Times’ Chairman and CEO, Dante ‘Klink’ Ang 2nd, during a roundtable on water and sanitation at the TMT Newsroom in Intramuros, Manila, on Aug. 15, 2024. PHOTOS BY J. GERARD SEGUIA
Carlos Vasquez, Unicef Philippines’ chief of climate, environment, and resilience, is interviewed by The Manila Times’ Chairman and CEO, Dante ‘Klink’ Ang 2nd, during a roundtable on water and sanitation at the TMT Newsroom in Intramuros, Manila, on Aug. 15, 2024. PHOTOS BY J. GERARD SEGUIA
Carlos Vasquez, Unicef Philippines’ chief of climate, environment, and resilience, is interviewed by The Manila Times’ Chairman and CEO, Dante ‘Klink’ Ang 2nd, during a roundtable on water and sanitation at the TMT Newsroom in Intramuros, Manila, on Aug. 15, 2024. PHOTOS BY J. GERARD SEGUIA
Carlos Vasquez, Unicef Philippines’ chief of climate, environment, and resilience, is interviewed by The Manila Times’ Chairman and CEO, Dante ‘Klink’ Ang 2nd, during a roundtable on water and sanitation at the TMT Newsroom in Intramuros, Manila, on Aug. 15, 2024. PHOTOS BY J. GERARD SEGUIA
Carlos Vasquez, Unicef Philippines’ chief of climate, environment, and resilience, is interviewed by The Manila Times’ Chairman and CEO, Dante ‘Klink’ Ang 2nd, during a roundtable on water and sanitation at the TMT Newsroom in Intramuros, Manila, on Aug. 15, 2024. PHOTOS BY J. GERARD SEGUIA
Carlos Vasquez, Unicef Philippines’ chief of climate, environment, and resilience, is interviewed by The Manila Times’ Chairman and CEO, Dante ‘Klink’ Ang 2nd, during a roundtable on water and sanitation at the TMT Newsroom in Intramuros, Manila, on Aug. 15, 2024. PHOTOS BY J. GERARD SEGUIA
She said that the Philippines has 421 river basins; 59 natural lakes; 100,000 hectares of freshwater swamps; 50,000 square kilometers of groundwater reservoir; and 2,400 millimeters of average rainfall throughout the year.
“Our problem is the system,” Poe said. Several government bodies, she said, are tasked to take charge of water supply and irrigation, but not all have specializations on water management and regulation.
“With over 30 departments and line agencies handling water-related functions, coordination on vital programs and data collection has been very limited, if not nonexistent,” Poe said.
Be the first to comment