DENR hosts waste, water summit

A summit for the two most critical concern of the country - waste and water, was held Friday at the SMX Convention Center in Mall of Asia organized and hosted by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in coordination with the Department of Interior and Local Goverment.

Various goverment officials and representatives from the academe, non-government organizations, private sectors and development partners such as from World Bank, UNIDO, and Ambassadors from United Kingdom and Arab Emirates also attended the summit.

Led by DENR Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga and DILG Secretary Benhur Abalos Jr. the summit aims to instill better appreciation of the role of local goverment unit in waste and water management.

"It is also aimed to mobilize commitment and concrete actions to address waste management and water security challenges at the local level through sustainable and transformative measures and strengthen coordination and linkage of DENR and DILG with LGUs and stakeholders," Loyzaga added.

DENR Undersecretary for Field Operations (Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao) Juan Miguel Cuna, presented the waste sector situationer while UnderSecretary for Integrated and Environmental Science Carlos Primo David discussed the water sector situationer that raised the awareness and knowledge of participants in Philippine setting.

David said 67 percent or 74 million of Filipinos have access to piped, potable water. And 3.3 percent or 3.8 million still practice open defecation.

Water service providers (WPS) servicing around 70 millions with MWSS providing waters to 20 millions, as well as the 520 water districts, while LGU-run WPS also servicing 20 millions water consumers, with private WPS servicing around 10 million more. 40 million Pinoys however has informal or no access at all.

David said it would P250 billion to service the 40 million Filipinos that has no formal source of water.