Around 40 million Filipinos lack access to clean and potable water, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said on Tuesday, as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. directed the agency to improve water resource management across the country.

At the sectoral meeting on the country’s water resources and management, Marcos reiterated the importance of an integrated water resource master plan and the management of water resources during El Niño while mitigating floods during La Niña.

In a Palace briefing after the sectoral meeting, DENR Undersecretary Carlos Primo David said 5,500 out of more than 7,600 islands in the country have no access to fresh water.

He added that many communities in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao still do not have access to a formal water supply.

“The directive of the President this morning was very clear — 40 million of our residents ‘no, of Filipinos do not have access to a formal water supply. They still access water from springs, from creeks, some even rainwater ‘no — they rely on rainwater for drinking water purposes,” David said.

“While we have big projects in line for large cities such as Bacolod, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, Tarlac City and so on, we have to focus on the 40 million underserved population and there are a few strategies that we have in mind in order for us to provide water to these communities,” David added.

Last year, Marcos signed an executive order establishing the Water Management Office within the DENR.