Marcos calls on agencies to prioritize water supply projects amid El Niño

President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. on Friday urged concerned government agencies to prioritize the completion of water supply projects amid the El Niño phenomenon. 

''With the El Niño projected to last until the second quarter of 2024, we must prioritize the repair of water pipes to prevent leakages and the completion of ongoing water supply projects to ensure that we have adequate supply,'' Marcos said as he graced the inauguration of the Poblacion Water Treatment Plant in Muntinlupa City this morning. 

''We stand on the brink of completing this crucial project—a necessity heightened by the current challenge posed by the El Niño phenomenon. Your collective efforts ensure that we exceed the demands of our people in these trying times,'' said Marcos.

''And so, let us call upon the pertinent [government] agencies to intensify their vigilance in overseeing the construction of water supply facilities, particularly in regions grappling with water scarcity,'' added the President. 

He also urged the private sector to explore opportunities to collaborate with the government in addressing the country's water supply challenges.

The President said that at present, the thrust of the government and all other sectors is ''to prepare in increasing water capacity so that should the El Niño extend to the second quarter of next year, the country could still, at the very least, supply potable water especially in the urban areas.'' 

Marcos said that by ensuring stable supply, water could still be supplied to the agriculture and industrial sectors, as well as to medical facilities that could hardly operate without water. —VAL, GMA Integrated News