The leadership of the House of Representatives will open on Tuesday an oversight hearing to look into the impending water shortage as Angat Dam in Bulacan reaches critical level.
Last week Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo called for an oversight hearing on the water shortage on Tuesday, before new members of the House of Representatives begin their term of office.
Invited to the hearing are officials from the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage Systems (MWSS), National Water Resources Bureau, Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA), National Irrigation Authority, Departments of Agriculture, Budget and Management, Environment and Natural Resources and Public Works and Highways, the National Economic and Development Authority and water concessionaires Manila Water Co. Inc. (MWCI), and the Maynilad Water Services Inc. (MWSI).
LWUA Acting Administrator Jeci Lapus said the agency is now seeking for solutions for the Angat water problem, as well as long-term measures to prevent a water crisis from happening.
Arroyo said the proposed creation of a Department of Water will be included in the agenda, which will be evaluated by the committee for the next Congress to act upon.
Last March, at the height of the water crisis in the east side of Metro Manila, the lower chamber also conducted an oversight hearing to help find solutions to the problem. As a result, Maynilad agreed to open five of its surplus valves with Manila Water to supply 50 million liters of water per day (MLD) to ease the burden of the estimated 1.2 million households in the area.
Exempted
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority said over the weekend that trucks of MWSI and MWCI are still exempted from the number-coding scheme to facilitate the delivery of water supplies to different areas experiencing water shortage.
“We have a standing order authorizing tankers bringing water to affected areas, with no restrictions on number coding,” said Danilo Lim.
As the water level of Angat Dam continues to drop, the Metro Manila Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (MMDRRMC), chaired by Lim, concerned government agencies and water concessionaires, had discussed contingency measures on how to prepare for a worsening water shortage last week.
“The public, especially those located in vulnerable areas, must know what to expect with the water level of Angat Dam now at critical level,” said Lim during a special MMDRRMC meeting.
The meeting was attended by officials of MWSS and water concessionaires, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), and other concerned government agencies.
During the meeting, Pagasa said that while it had declared the start of the rainy season last week, the amount of rainfall is still not enough to boost the water level of Angat Dam.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) assured its readiness to supply water to critical establishments that could be affected by the impending water shortage in Metro Manila as the water level in Angat Dam nears critical level.
PRC Chairman Richard Gordon gave orders to prepare PRC’s fleet of water tankers and water treatment equipment.
If the water level in Angat Dam dips further, PRC will prioritize hospitals to ensure that health-care services will not be interrupted and to avoid health complications, such as sepsis, diarrhea, and other hygiene-related diseases.
During the first wave of water crisis last March to April, PRC was able to supply 1,435,475 liters of clean and safe water to hospitals such as National Kidney and Transplant Institute, East Avenue Medical Center, Rizal Medical Center, National Center for Mental Health and Quirino Memorial Medical Center.
PRC also served affected communities, Barangay Old Balara and Barangay Culiat in Quezon City; Barangay Nangka and Barangay Tumana in Marikina; and Barangay Addition Hills in Mandaluyong.
With a report from Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco