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eyedtofill Metroneeds
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DJ'Yap, Julie M. Aurelio
nd Marlon Ramos
qetor-Iryllitq.
rnglc;ss and the Duterte ad-
inistration are studying all
)ssible solutions to the water
isis in the national capital, in-
uding drawing fiom the re-
rve of nearby provinces, cre-
ing a new water department
rd returning state control over
lter distribution i4the spraw-
rgmetropolis. ; Colmenares has said the
Acting Administrator Jeci
rpus of the Local Water Utili-
)s Administration proposed
tting water from Bulacan,
rvite and Laguna provinces
a"short-term solution" dur-
g Tuesdajr's hearing con-
Lcted by a House oversight
nel.
"The only problem is how to
msport the wat€r," Lapus said.
Thejoint hearing held by the
ruse committees on
Metro
rnila development and publi€
,rks tackled the monthslong
rter shortage that was expect-
to persist welliinto the mon-
)n season.
Lapus said the Metropolitdn
rterworks and Sewerage Sys-
n, .through its two ionces-
naires, Manila Water Co. Inc,
I Maynilad Water Services
:., could "touchbase" with the
ter districts of nearby pro-
rces to provide some of the
rtro's waterneeds.
He noted however thrt
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At Malacanang, presidential
I
I
spokespersbn Salvador Panelo
said the administration wap
open to a proposal by Bayan
Muna chair Neri Colmenares to
take back control ov€r water
supply and distribution from
the private concessionaires.
"We are studying everything
tlat would be good for our
. countrymen..All of that is in-
cluded in our careful study,"
Panelo said in a press briefing.
government c8uld do a better
WATERCRISIS Reynaldo Velascq, admlnistratorof th6 Manila DRYING UP Angat Dam, which supplies nearly allof Metro iob at distributing water than
Waterworks and Sewerage System, stands up to stress, point Manila's water needs, is fast drying up with its water level . Maynilad and Manila Water,
during a House oversight committee hearing on Tuesdiy on the dropping below the critical level of 160 meters over the which have come under fire for
monthslong wat€r shortage in the national capital. The weekend. Heavy rains that flooded the metropolis in recent the water crisis this year.
committee received a prdposalto get emergencysupply from the days did not fall over the dam and its surroundings. Photo taken
nearby provinces of 8u lacan, Cavit€ and Laguna. -Jorr aonooc on Tuesday. -eete c.MoNTEGRAI{DE New Angat low looms
The Pala€e assured the pub-
ger consumbr base of z mitlion districts "are not so good." He had pushed for it since he start- "It lwill improvel coordina- lic that the govemment was do-
households. did not elaborate. ed campaigning for the Senate. tion so that onlyone agency will ing everything it could to solve
"Laguna, Cavite and Butacan Lapus raised the pos6ibility It would have supervision be in charge and have control of the problem.
have only about g5o,ooo house: of a more permanent solutio& over all water utilities being the operations and mainte- "This is why we are studying
holds so if we succeed in getting such as the proposal of Speaker managed by local governments, nance of water dams and river all possible remedies to solve
supply, it will be only for'a half Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to he told reporters. systems so that we *ill have the problem," Panelo said.
or a third of the nbeds of the ffeate department ofwater.
a "lt's about time w€ [had] a clean water leven] in the At the House hearing, Na-
city," Lapus said. Each of the country's 32 wa- department of water to synchro- provinces," Tolentino said. tional Water Resources Board
Executives of the two con- ter agencies "have their own nize all the functions of lstate Executive Director Sevillo
cessionaires said they were minds," he said. When a crisis agencies] and as oversight on the Bato's input David warned that the water in
opento thl proposal. erupts, they respond with "scat- lprivate water concessionaiies]," Another senator-elect, Ro- Angat Dam might drop to its
"Manila Water welcombs tered actions," he added. said Tolentino, a former chair of nald "Bato" dela Rosa, said the lowest level bf 157 meters again
any additional supply to support Devel- goyernment might consider us,-
the Metropolitdn Manila by weekend because of a lack of
the supply deficit ... We supprirt Department ofwater opment Authority aird pre- ing desatination technology, rain to replenish the stock.
any plan to give us more water," "This situation can be im- sidential political adviser. which is being used by'Israel, to The water in the darn, which
said Ferdinand delaCiuz, Manila proved with the integration of He dismissed notions tiat the produce potable water. supplies about 97 percent of
Water president and CEO. all water agencies in one de- new departrnent would only add "I don't know how expensive Metro Manila's requirements. last
Ramoncito Fernandez, May- partment ofwater," Lapus said, another bureaucratic .layer ln that technology is, but maybe went down to that levet in 2o1o.
nilad president. and CEO, also Incoming Sen. Francis To- solving the water supply prcb- we qan do it," said Dela Rosa, fr:T
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