Marcos: Water challenges must be handled on a national scale

President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. has called for a reorganization of various water agencies for efficient and effective response to water-related challenges, saying that issues on water should be addressed on a national scale.

Marcos wants to provide supply to around 40 million Filipinos that do not have access to formal water supply.

“That’s really the main solution to that is that we have a national plan because water is a national issue. And it has to be handled on a national scale. It cannot be done by – so, that I think remains to be a priority that we are able to reorganize the functions,” Marcos said during a sectoral meeting on investment opportunities in Malacañang on Tuesday.

“We do the reorganization, we carry on with the hearings and put forward of our proposals in terms of our what need would like, first, if we would want the authority then we can do that immediately, but we, it’s necessary for us to have an overall plan. And, these water authorities, whatever they are, maraming [there are so many] overlap [s]," he added.

Earlier, Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Manuel Bonoan said he was tasked by Marcos to integrate the agency’s flood control management programs with the other sectors to conserve water for irrigation as well as for household and power generation use.

The Presidential Communications Office said that the country needs an annual investment of P119 billion (2020-2030) to attain universal access to safe water supply and sanitation services by 2030.

The PCO said it has about P6 billion average annual public investment on water infrastructure over the last five years. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News