Biz groups stress need for new water sources
Credit to Author: TYRONE JASPER C. PIAD| Date: Mon, 25 Mar 2019 16:31:19 +0000
Business groups on Monday stressed the need for an alternative source of water given a supply crisis that has affected 1.2 million households in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.
“Looking to the future, we also need to secure a secondary water source to address the growing needs of Metro Manila and its surrounding areas,” they said in a joint statement.
The signatories included the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, Asia Pacific Real Estate Association, Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines, Foundation for Economic Freedom, Institute of Corporate Directors, Management Association of the Philippines and the Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
“Many lessons can be learned from this unfortunate episode and, hopefully, they will be employed to further improve the service and avoid a recurrence in the future,” they said.
Manila Water suddenly stopped supplying parts of its East Zone concession on March 7 after the water level at La Mesa Dam — used to augment its main allocation from Angat Dam — fell below the critical mark.
As the disruption continued, fingers were pointed at the water firm, the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS), and even the government for being unprepared or even manufacturing the crisis to push the Chinese-funded and long-delayed Kaliwa dam project.
The crisis, however, has underlined structural problems and the need to augment the metropolis’ main water sources, which for now remain Angat and La Mesa.
Manila Water, which last year complained that the MWSS had rejected a Laguna Lake water treatment project in favor of Kaliwa, is now in talks with businessman Enrique Razon Jr. to reopen Wawa Dam, which used to be the primary source for Metro Manila prior to Angat.
Malacañang has waded into the issue, with President Rodrigo Duterte ordering the MWSS to resolve the issue and threatening to revoke concessionaire contracts.
Water services have resumed in most of the East Zone but Manila Water continues to implement rotational interruptions to manage limited supplies.
The business groups, in the statement, expressed support for Duterte’s interventions.
“We welcome and fully support the directive of President Duterte to solve the water service disruption in the east zone concession within 150 days,” they said.
They noted that consultations involved all stakeholders and added that they were “encouraged and confident” that measures being implemented would resolve the water crisis soon.
“The contrite behavior of MWSS Administrator Reynaldo Velasco and the apology extended by Manila Water CEO Ferdinand dela Cruz are helpful steps in the right direction and we laud them for it,” the business groups said.
“Beyond these, the concession framework and existing regulatory provisions provide accountability measures for both the concerned public and private parties.”
They stressed that the crisis should not be viewed as a “total failure of system,” noting that services had “vastly improved” since these were privatized in 1997.
“In fact, this privatization is being regarded as a good model … for others to emulate,” they added.
The Makati Business Club (MBC), in a separate statement, also expressed confidence in the privatization model.
“Our members suffered with the rest of the public from the shortage of water in our homes and our business. But service is indisputably better than before privatization,” it said.
The MBC said it was hopeful that the issue would soon be resolved and lauded efforts by regulators and concessionaires to investigate the matter and take accountability.
“The most important among these solutions are to prioritize … and streamline the approval process for new water sources [and] also include more efficient usage,” it added.
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