23 July 2010

Militant groups rallied in front MWSS to call an end to the current water crisis

Groups headed by Water for the People Network, Kalikasan People's Network for the Environment (Kalikasan PNE), Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN), and other sectoral groups trooped to the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage Systems (MWSS) to urge the agency to immediately address the current water crisis in Metro Manila.

The groups blamed the agency for failure to ensure the provision of clean, adequate, and affordable water supply and services in the region.

"The water scarcity our communities are experiencing is rooted in the water privatization policy of the government. Previous administrations promoted the privatization of our water facilities promising that this will lead to better services and adequate water supply. But the current water crisis is a glaring proof of its failure," said Eleanor de Guzman, BAYAN Deputy Secretary General.

The National Water Crisis Act of 1995 or RA 8041 has been in place for more than a decade now. The act declared as state policy the adoption of urgent and effective measures relevant to the nationwide water crisis. Pursuant to this was the privatization of MWSS where the agency's responsibilities were reduced to regulatory and administrative functions in 1997.

De Guzman furthered that, "This water crisis is bound to worsen if the privatization policy and false solutions in 'addressing' this problem are not immediately abandoned by the new Aquino administration."

The groups slammed the government's supposedly solution to the water crisis by entering into more privatized deals. One solution being considered is said to be the building of more dams, such as the Laiban dam project which the Aquino administration is now reviewing.

"We do not need another large dam to provide for the growing water demand in Metro Manila. What the Aquino government must do is to nationalize the water provider institutions like Maynilad and prioritize the improvement of its water related facilities," said Dr. Giovanni Tapang, chairman of the activist scientist group AGHAM.

Previous administrations have proposed the construction of Laiban dam as the answer to the impending ‘water deficit' in Metropolis. The Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) said that the $1 billion Laiban dam could provide 1,830 million liters per day of water supply to address the projected demand in Metro Manila.

Dr. Tapang explained that the current water shortage in Metro Manila is partly due to the inefficiency of Maynilad Water Services Inc. and the mismanagement of NAPOCOR of Angat Dam.

Fifty three (53%) of water allocated to Maynilad is lost mainly due to leakages. While the critical low water level in Angat Dam was attributed to lack of rain and NAPOCOR's fault on excessive water releases. Reducing water loss or non-revenue water of both concessionaires to single digit percentage will mean additional 900 MLD of water supply to Metropolis.

The government need not resort to if these were addressed according to Dr. Tapang.

"It is utterly negligent of our government to pass their responsibility to private and foreign entities in ensuring ample and efficient services to the people. We have already seen how private companies like Manila Water and Maynilad have failed to provide stable water supply to Metro residents. In spite of poor services by these water concessionaires, the consumers are subjected to ever increasing water rates."

Environmental group Kalikasan PNE has cited another reason why privatization failed.

"Our water resources have dwindled due to negligence and mismanagement of our watershed areas. These private companies only care about the profits they can generate and not about providing service to the Filipinos and ensuring that the sources of our water are properly protected," said Clemente Bautista of Kalikasan PNE.

The multipurpose reservoir of Angat Dam, which provides for 97 percent of the domestic water supply of Metro Manila, gets its water from the Angat Watershed Reservation. The Angat Watershed Reservation has a total area of 62,309 hectares in two sub-catchments areas. The effective drainage area of the Reservation is 56,800 hectares. This watershed, if properly managed, could provide adequate water to the Angat Dam all year round.

"Poor protection and continuing environmental degradation, such as widespread deforestation and massive soil erosion, in the watershed have resulted to the decreasing water storage and retention capacity of the Angat Watershed, " explained Bautista.

The complete jurisdiction, control and regulation of Angat Watershed has been vested by law to the NPC. But as found in the NPC's website, only 8 personnels directly monitor and protect the vast Angat watershed.

"In spite of the billions of profits of NPC in their operation, watershed protection and management is low in its priority with a dismal budget allocation. In addition, water concessionaires Maynilad and Manila Water, which gets 97% of its water supply came from the Angat reservoir, do not pay anything for their water use and are not obligated to allocate part of their income to the conservation and protection of the watershed," Bautista said.

The groups then called on the new administration to address these root causes and nationalize the MWSS instead of letting private concessions control and misuse our country's precious water resources.###