House panel OKs rainwater harvesting facility for new buildings

MANILA, Philippines — The House committee on Metro Manila development has approved a measure requiring all new establishments in the metropolis to have a rainwater harvesting facility to help address perennial problems of flooding and water shortage.

The panel – chaired by Tondo, Manila Rep. Manny Lopez – approved three bills mandating the establishment of a rainwater harvesting facility in every new institutional, commercial and residential development project in the National Capital Region.

House Bills 4111, 4124 and 4698 of Lopez and Quezon City Reps. Allan Reyes and Kit Belmonte and Manila Rep. Yul Servo Nieto were approved by the committee for plenary action after just one hearing last Wednesday.

In swiftly passing the measure, the committee invoked Rule 10 Section 48 of the House that allows committees to dispose priority measures already filed and approved on third reading in the immediately preceding Congress.

“The said bills will require new realty developments to provide a rainwater catchment plan prior to securing a building permit from the concerned city government. Our subject bills aim to help Metro Manila in water supply and flood control,” Lopez explained during the hearing.

HB 4111, filed by Lopez with Reyes, seeks to “provide million liters of water for household uses and may prevent fallen rains from flooding most streets of Metro Manila.”

Belmonte, for his part, said the measure could help address the water shortage experienced earlier this year.

“With these effects that climate change poses, this bill aims to transform the problem into a solution by institutionalizing the establishment of rainwater harvesting facilities in Metro Manila. This will lead to a reduction of flooding in highly urbanized areas while collecting, filtering and storing water for future and multiple uses,” the lawmaker from Quezon City’s 6th district said.

The bills included a penal provision that would impose a fine of P500,000 to P2 million on violators.