SMX Convention Center, Pasay City
March 23, 2023
Underscoring the significance of safeguarding the Philippines’ water management and supply, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. pushed for the establishment of the Department of Water Resources as the need to attain water security intensifies amidst the adverse effects of climate change.
He made these remarks during his attendance to the 6th Edition of the Water Philippines Conference and Exposition, where he highlighted the need to discuss ways to lessen water crisis in the country. Recently, he signed an Executive Order (EO) creating the Office of Water Management to ensure sufficient water supply for the country.
“There are many agencies that are involved in water supply and water management. It has just evolved that way. But what we are going to try to do is make more cohesive policies so there is planning at a national level. And in that way, we can maximize the management of what water we have,” the President said.
The Chief Executive emphasized the utilization of collective actions in using the available technologies and stratagems in light of the existing water crisis across the nation, noting the “debilitating effects in the economy if water crisis continues to be felt” most especially in the fields of agriculture and food security.
“I am very optimistic that the solutions that we need to formulate are out there. The technologies are out there. What has continued to change in the light of climate change is the management, the stratagems on how we manage our water,” he expressed.
President Marcos Jr. conveyed his gratitude to the conference organizers for holding such an assembly as he considered this a “necessary and urgent step towards achieving our collective aim of attaining water security, and providing safe and accessible drinking water for the Filipino people.”
Organized by Informa Markets and the Philippine Water Works Association, Inc. (PWWAI), the three-day affair is the country’s leading event when it comes to international water supply, sanitation, industrial wastewater treatment and purification. It serves as a venue for over 10,000 trade participants, as well as industry players and leaders, with more than 300 exhibiting companies presenting overviews of their latest products, technologies and innovations.
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