With the El Niño episode and a water crisis looming on the horizon, Makati City Rep. Luis Campos Jr. has filed a resolution urging two committees of Congress to investigate the unsuccessful implementation of a 34-year-old law that requires the construction of rainwater collectors in all barangays.
“We want Congress to get to the bottom of the problem so that we can take remedial action, considering that stockpiling rainwater offers a practical way for communities to augment (water) supplies during the dry season while mitigating potential flooding during the wet season,” he said.
Under House Resolution No. 906, the inquiry into the non-implementation of the Rainwater Collection and Springs Development Law of 1989, or Republic Act No. 6716, would be conducted jointly by the Committee on Public Works and Highways and the Committee on Ecology.
“In fact, rainwater harvesting should form part of the national water security roadmap, since we have a lot of rainfall when we are not going through a drought or a dry spell,” Campos said.
He said he is counting on the new Water Resource Management Office to give the highest priority to the installation of rainwater collectors throughout the country.
In February, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. approved the creation of the WRMO as part of the government’s efforts to address what he called a “water crisis” threatening the country.
In March, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration warned of an approaching El Niño with a 55 percent chance of developing in the July-August-September 2023 season and may persist until 2024.
When the Philippines went through an El Niño in 2019, vast parts of the country, including Metro Manila, reeled from a drought that caused widespread water shortages and farm damage, after dams and lakes that supply potable and irrigation water experienced a massive decline in rainfall.
Already, one of two water concessionaires, Maynilad Water Services Inc., has warned its customers to brace for a week-long service interruption beginning Sunday.
In an advisory, Maynilad said the water service interruption in parts of Las Piñas City, Muntinlupa City, Parañaque City, Pasay City, Bacoor City, and Imus City will take place from April 16 to April 23. Water services in some of these areas are, however, expected to normalize by April 22.
The water service interruption was due to the ongoing intensified cleaning of filters at the Putatan Water Treatment Plants, Maynilad said.
“The turbidity level of the raw water in Laguna Lake has been gradually decreasing since the Amihan season ended, but the process is taking longer than anticipated. Due to this, we have to extend our maintenance activities at the plants,” the company said.
“Normal operations will be restored once the cleaning of the filters is completed,” it added.
Maynilad advised its affected customers to store enough water when supply is available and let the water flow out briefly until it clears when the water service resumes.
