MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered the concerned government agencies to explore ways of harnessing rainwater as an additional source of potable and industrial water for Pampanga, Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon said on Saturday.
Dizon said he and Pampanga Gov. Lilia Pineda led Friday’s interagency meeting to discuss a proposed bulk water project that would make use of accumulated rainwater and help address the province’s water supply needs.
The meeting was attended by representatives of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), National Irrigation Administration (NIA), Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA), Manila Water, Asian Development Bank (ADB), and private and foreign consultants.
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) chief reiterated that the Chief Executive wants the agencies to study ways to prevent rainwater from going to waste and instead use it to augment existing water sources.
The initiative is intended to provide additional potable and industrial water supplies to Pampanga and ensure that residents have access to clean and affordable water, he told The Manila Times.
Moreover, Dizon said the proposed bulk water project was also being evaluated in relation to the DPWH’s plans for the major river basin in Central Luzon.
The coordination among the DPWH, DENR, NIA and LWUA, along with development partners and technical consultants, was expected to help determine how the proposed project could be integrated with existing water, irrigation, environmental and river-basin management plans, the top DPWH official said.
“However, the project remains at the proposal and study stage, with no details yet announced on its projected capacity, cost or construction timetable,” he added.
The public works department stressed that the government’s effort to develop additional water sources forms part of measures to address the growing demand for potable and industrial water in Pampanga.
