Senators have emphasized the importance of integrating water harvesting facilities in new structural development projects to provide a long-term solution to the El Ñino weather phenomenon that constantly hits the country.
In a news release Thursday, Senator Ramon Revilla Jr. cited rain water harvesting facilities can address the water shortage in Metro Manila.
“Ang rainwater harvesting ay isang innovative technology na napatunayang epektibo sa maraming bansa sa pagresolba sa problema sa tubig, tulad sa India na nairaraos nila ang kakapusan sa tubig dahil sa pag-iipon lamang ng tubig ulan (The rain water harvesting is an innovative technology which has been proven to be effective in many countries in resolving prroblems in water, like in India which solved water shortage by storing rain water),” Revilla said, noting that the Philippines usually experiences more rains.
Revilla also said that the El Niño is a recurring natural phenomenon that needs a long term solution and he believes that rainwater harvesting facilities will greatly mitigate its effects.
“Lagi namang nangyayari to eh. Kaya dapat pinaghahandaan natin at ginagawan ng solusyon (This always happens that’s why we need to prepare and find a solution for this),” he added.
In August last year, Revilla filed Senate Bill No. (SBN) 990 or the “Rainwater Harvesting Facility Act of 2022” seeking to abate the effects of the recurring El Niño phenomenon.
The bill seeks to mandate the establishment, management, maintenance, and regulation of rainwater harvesting facilities in all new institutional, commercial, industrial, and residential development projects in Metro Manila.
Meanwhile, Senator Grace Poe suggested that the local government units, in cooperation with the national government for the funding, could identify where water entrapment facilities can be built.
“Kasi kung saka-sakaling merong ganon, pwedeng gamitin yun for agriculture kung hindi man yun (Because if ever we have that, it can be used for agriculture or either) for the basic water supply of the consumers,” Poe said during a recent Kapihan sa Senado.
“So, makakabawas pa din yun dun sa mga pagkukunan ng mismong mga dam (it will reinforce other water sources like dams),” she added, reiterating the need to establish a Department of Water Resources (DWR).
In the current 19th Congress, Poe refiled SBN 102 seeking to create the DWR, a measure that was included in the Marcos Administration’s priority legislative agenda.
Under the bill, which shall be known as the National Water Resource Management Act, the DWR will be the primary policy, planning, coordinating, implementing, monitoring, and administrative entity of the executive branch of the government responsible for the comprehensive and integrated development and management of the water resources of the Philippines. (PNA)