No water?

In an archipelago surrounded by water, how can Filipinos suffer from a “water crisis”? Is this an act of God or an act of incompetent government officials? We surely know what the sad reality is.

My friend Rick Ramos gave me a ray of hope by saying, “Our country is blessed with rivers and watersheds that Metro Manila and environs should never have a water shortage. We have more than enough water for the next 30 years (2050) for the metropolis and contiguous provinces of Rizal, Cavite and Bulacan supplying a population of 30 million people.”

He added, “We can develop more than 3,000 MLD (Million Liters/Day) from Laiban Dam (2,000 MLD), Kaliwa Dam (600 MLD), Wawa Dam (550 MLD) and Sumag River in Quezon (190 MLD). Then there is still Laguna de Bay that can easily bring at least an additional 200 MLD. All told, 3,500 MLD! The problem is that MWSS is hardheaded. It wants to keep its role in raw water supply production that is better or best left to the private sector.

The Water Crisis Act of 1995 places MWSS as a regulator. MWSS should allow its concessionaires such as Maynilad and Manila Water to handle the supply of raw water. So, why doesn’t the MWSS follow the Act? This needs to be investigated. Clearly, there are twin issues of corruption and incompetence at the MWSS to reckon with.

Alan Ortiz, a public utilities expert, points out that we are throwing all 8 billion liters of water per day from the Sierra Madre mountains to the Pacific Ocean. He said, “This is a criminal sin of omission by government in failing to harness these water sources not just for the Metropolis, but also for the surrounding Calabarzon provinces as well. Only the smallest of these water sources is scheduled for Build Build Build – Kaliwa at 550 million liters per day.”

He added, “New sources are key to long term sustainability of the concessionaires and water security of the metro, coupled with other demand-side interventions, such as mandating use of more efficient water appliances and possibly seasonal pricing to reflect scarcity value during drier days which I hope is being studied by the National Water Resources Board.” 

Rick Ramos, an industrial engineer analyzed the problem by saying, “The central issue is the incompetence of the National Government. MWSS concessionaires Maynilad Water and Manila Water have been asking the government for new sources of water since 2007. That was 10 years after they won the concessions in 1997 and two years after the Water Crisis Act of 1995 passed by Congress and signed by President FVR into law. The 13 km Angat-Umiray River Transbasin Tunnel, which added 25% more water to the supply for Metro Manila, was completed almost 20 years ago in the late 1990s.”

He further said, “MWSS Chief Regulator Patrick Ty has publicly admitted that it is the fault of government not having added new sources of water for the NCR and environs. He recalled that both concessionaires talked to him about it two years in 2017 when he assumed office. The Sumag River Diversion Project should have been finished by now. It was 67.79% complete when Rodrigo R. Duterte became President in July 2016. So what happened? Work has stopped at the Sumag project. This is only a 600-meter tunnel that will be linked to the 13 km Angat-Umiray Transbasin Tunnel.”

The Umiray Project added 25% to the water supply of Metro Manila. Water from Umiray River in Quezon province flowing to the Pacific Ocean was diverted to Angat Dam through a tunnel under the Sierra Madre mountain ranges to Bulacan. However, the tunnel was damaged in 2004 when a super typhoon hit northern Quezon Province and the illegally cut logs went inside the tunnel and damaged it. I haven’t heard anything on its rehabilitation.

In August last year, Manila Water warned of a possible supply shortage in its concession area by 2021 unless MWSS gives the green light to the East Zone concessionaire’s P13-billion Laguna Lake Water Supply System Project or “East Bay.” But MWSS administrator Rey Velasco allegedly wasn’t keen on approving the plan. Why? Well, there are allegations that he gave preference to the government-led Kaliwa Dam project in Quezon, which will not be completed until 2023.

The Kaliwa Dam was supposed to be constructed via PPP mode four years ago in 2015 under PNoy with SMC but this did not push through. Now Duterte is pushing to continue the project to be funded by the Chinese. He changed the PPP to ODA loan to give it to China. If you study the interest rate of the ODA loan from China and the one offered by South Korea, you will freak out.

The Office of the President should have asked earlier MWSS administrator Velasco to explain the water shortage situation. Velasco could have told PRRD the problem is in the supply of raw water that MWSS is supposed to provide and failed to do. And that nothing happened with Sumag Diversion, Wawa rehabilitation, Kaliwa Dam and dam between Angat and Ipo.

 Instead of understanding the problem that besets the crisis, the President and his jester in Malacañang ordered the release of water supply from Angat Dam and demanded the concessionaires do it or else they will get a personal scolding. Sanamagan! First of all, the release of water is under the jurisdiction of the government (MWSS) and not the concessionaires; second, haven’t they been properly briefed on where the problem lies? Such a pathetic state of affairs!

And now, after 20 years of banning deep wells, the NWRB has approved the request to reactivate them as one of the short-term solutions to the water problem. I hope that the approval was not done in haste and with due consideration for the reasons why it was banned.

The water crisis we are facing today should serve as an eye-opener. It’s high-time the President gets real professionals on board MWSS and other government entities to get this country going!