Duterte: ‘Filipinos must have access to safe drinking water’

DAVAO CITY, Philippines  —  Every Filipino family must have access to safe drinking water for them to lead productive lives, President Duterte emphasized the other night.

“I have always believed that access to safe drinking water is a fundamental right that must be enjoyed by every Filipino family so that they may lead healthy, dignified and productive lives,” the President said during the kick-off for the construction of the Davao City Bulk Water Supply Project (DCBWSP) in Barangay Calinan here.

The President said water has become a problem for humankind not only in the Philippines but also in other parts of the world.

“Water has become a commodity that is harder to secure,” he said.

Duterte said the subject of water was tackled during the recent 33rd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Leaders Summit in Singapore.

“During the ASEAN, we were talking of resources of water. Really, as the fiction writers and scientists would tell us now that climate change and water is really becoming… a harder commodity to secure,” he said.

The President stressed that ASEAN leaders also talked about the siltation of the Mekong Delta.

“It’s the biggest rice field in all of the Earth and yet they are very apprehensive about the siltation of a part of the Mekong Delta. It is providing food, rice, carbohydrate, which is very important. But it’s also becoming a problem for humankind,” he said.

ASEAN leaders also tackled water that should no longer be dedicated to the planting of rice, according to the Chief Executive.

“We are talking about it. There’s a cry now… everywhere about climate change but nobody seems to be compliant with it. I do not see any active advocacy that’s really being implemented here in our country regarding climate change,” he said.

The President likewise cited the situation in Metro Manila, with the absence of a proper and working sewerage system.

“And that is why I can hardly see any improvement in the quality of life in Manila or maybe in the entire Philippines, that we don’t have a sewer and a sewerage system that is really working,” he said.

Duterte cited the DCBWSP, given the inadequacy of the existing aquifer coming from the Dumoy water system now utilized by the Davao City Water District.

The President  also recognized the efforts of the public-private partnership between the Apo Agua Infrastructure and the Davao City government  in spearheading the construction of the water treatment facility.

The DCBWSP is a strategic infrastructure initiative that will shift the dependence of Davao City’s main water supply from groundwater wells to a more sustainable-sourced surface water from Tamugan River.

This design is set to be the largest private bulk water supply facility in the country. The P12.6-billion project will provide the Davao City Water District (DCWD) with over 300 million liters per day of safe water.