PBBM orders swift action on water projects for national stability

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. told the government agencies to hasten all water-related projects across the country as any problems with the water supply could lower people's standard of living, slow down economic growth, and lead to social unrest.

During the inauguration of the Davao City Bulk Water Supply Project on Wednesday, Marcos emphasized that the partnership between the public and private sectors is a good way to deal with the lack of water during the dry season.

“It is for this reason that I continually stress the urgency of improving water security, and directed agencies concerned to expedite the completion of all water projects across the country,” Marcos said.

“Of all emergencies, water scarcity is the hardest to contain. It is, however, preventable with foresight, right plans, united action, and strong political will," Marcos added.

Bulk water project to shift Davao City away from groundwater reliance

The Davao City Water District (DCWD) and Apo Agua Infrastructura Inc. (Apo Agua), a water subsidiary of Aboitiz InfraCapital (AIC), both entered a public-private partnership (PPP) to establish the Davao City Bulk Water Supply Project.

The water project is geared towards meeting the demands of over one million residents of Davao City, and it seeks to reduce the city's dependence on groundwater sources by using Tamugan River, which is a more sustainable water source that is expected to deliver millions of liters of water per day to over one million households.

According to Marcos, the project incorporates the water-energy nexus concept, where electricity is generated from the hydro plant.

He highlighted that this project reduces reliance on the "already burdened electricity grid" and addresses the growing demand for better environmental stewardship and more responsible management of natural resources.

“This is very important as we have changed [the] policy and we are now starting to feel the effects of what we have been doing in the past, that is digging wells. Our aquifers are already starting to feel the effects and they are not being replenished enough. Which is ironic because we have sufficient surface water in the Philippines,” Marcos said in the same speech.

“The Philippines is not a dry country and so, this model that we are inaugurating here today is right in line with the policy— the shift in policy in the government of taking water from surface water sources rather than from digging wells,” he added.