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DENR: Millions of Filipinos without formal water supply

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Raphael Bosano, ABS-CBN News

MANILA — Some 40 million Filipinos continue to live without formal water supply, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said Friday.At the sidelines of the Water and Waste Summit in Pasay City, Environment Undersecretary Carlos Primo David defined formal water supply as one coming from piped sources.Some Filipinos continue to source their water from deep wells and springs — which can be adversely affected as the effects of the strong El Niño become more evident in the coming months.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/video/business/01/11/24/metro-manila-to-have-sufficient-water-despite-el-nio-maynilad">Metro Manila to have sufficient water despite El Niño: Maynilad</a></li></ul>“Dahil ang mga lugar na ito ang walang pormal na supply ng tubig, tinataya natin na sila ang unang maapektuhan ng tagtuyot both in terms of quality and quantity,” he said.(Because these areas have no water supply, we see that they will also be the first to be affected by drought both in terms of quality and quantity.)The mayor of the town of Looc in Occidental Mindoro, one of the 19 provinces already experiencing a dry spell, said he is worried for his constituents as the intensification of the El Niño coincides with the country’s dry season.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/01/09/24/bottled-water-contains-hundreds-of-thousands-of-plastic-bits-study">Bottled water contains hundreds of thousands of plastic bits: study</a></li></ul>“Siyempre natatakot ako dahil sa kakulangan ng daloy ng tubig ay isa talaga ‘yan, maaring magkasakit ang aking mga kababayan dahil unang una hindi halos maging sapat tubig tulad sa paliligo,” said Mayor Marlon Dela Torre.(Of course I’m scared because scarce water supply may result in many of my constituents getting sick. Water almost isn’t enough for bathing.)Dela Torre added that since there isn’t enough water for crops, they have resorted to sourcing vegetables from Metro Manila — something he says is ironic considering the town’s vast land for agricultural produce.David said around P250 billion is needed in the next five years to ensure stable water supply and distribution for Filipinos.Environment Secretary Ma. Antonia Yulo Loyzaga advised mayors of towns facing challenges in water supply to get in touch with the department. This, in order for them to identify other sources of water for their constituents.“The water resources have been mapped nationally already. So ang importante lang is to locate kung saan ang pinaka-efficient at maayos na water source,” Loyzaga said.(What is important is to locate the most efficient and stable water source.)<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/12/13/23/water-rates-to-rise-next-year">Water rates to rise next year</a></li></ul>Even before the El Niño advisory was released by PAGASA, DENR, experts, and other groups have pushed for water conservation and proper consumption. But the agency admitted that many only do it when there is already a threat to the supply.“Water conservation in the Philippines is still at the voluntary stage. We want to reach a certain level of conservation because of the consciousness of the people not because mahal ‘yung tubig but because itong tubig na ito ay ginamit ko sa tamang paraan at sapat lang sa nangangailangan; mas maraming tao ang makikinabang,” David said.(We want to reach a certain level of conservation because of the consciousness of the people not because of its high price but because this is a finite resource that should be used wisely so that others may also benefit from it.)

MANILA — Some 40 million Filipinos continue to live without formal water supply, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said Friday.

DENR: Millions of Filipinos without formal water supply

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DENR: Millions of Filipinos without formal water supply

Raphael Bosano,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jan 27, 2024 12:52 AM PHT

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DENR

Water Supply

El Niño

Carlos Primo David

Toni Yulo-Loyzaga

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