Water, Cebu and the nation

Though the water crisis affects the entire nation, it is water plan implementation at the local level that will determine our success in overcoming this crisis. The Cebu experience may forecast what will happen in our nation.

On the national front, there is good news. In an executive session with President Duterte a few months ago, the five-coalition Agri Fisheries Alliance (AFA) identified the water crisis as a key priority.  Duterte has taken quick action on this issue in Cebu. Acting on Duterte’s instructions,  Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Michael Dino is taking concrete steps in helping implement the neglected Cebu water plan. An example is his initiative on surface water development that includes the construction of dams in strategic areas.

Fe Walag, executive director of the University of San Carlos Water Resource Center Foundation, said she had never seen this kind of attention from the Office of the President.  The recent LGU support has also been unprecedented, she added.

Governor Hilario Davide Jr., has created the Cebu Provincial Resource Water Authority. This is a public-private sector body, with participation of water suppliers, consumers, academe and business. It addresses Cebu’s water crisis.

Initiatives

Learning from the Cebu water experience, three initiatives are recommended for the nation.

First,  there is a need for a comprehensive national water master plan.  This will address the issues of water quality, availability, rights and watershed management. It will provide a framework that will guide local decisions.

Second, an implementation strategy is crucial. Walag said:  “Many road maps can be made. But without implementation,  these will just remain on paper, just as what happened for many years in Cebu. For effective action, there must be unity within the private sector, within the government, and between the private sector and the government. ”

Right now, there is little unity and coordination among the 30 or so water-related government agencies. One suggestion is for the heads of these agencies to meet in a two-day workshop and not leave until they have finalized a system for water plan coordination.

Third, there must be high level water body. Key representatives from the government and private sector should unite in a high level national body, which should be duplicated in the local areas, such as what we see in the Cebu Provincial Water Resource Authority. In countries like Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia, the national water body is positioned at the ministry level. Consequently, it gets the needed government attention and support.

On Sept. 14, at the water roadmap meeting conducted by NWRB, there was only low level representation from too few government agencies and the private sector.   In Cebu, there is complete high level public and private representation at the Cebu Provincial Water Resource Authority. This kind involvement is needed at the national and local levels.

Duplicating Cebu

If the Cebu experience is duplicated at the national and local levels, our water crisis will be addressed properly. The national water summit in March 2017 called by the OP’s Climate Change Commission is a welcome development.

The summit should give equal attention to both roadmap implementation and roadmap formulation. Otherwise, the roadmap will become all rhetoric and no reality. President Duterte must now add to his commitment in fighting drugs his personal involvement in overcoming the water crisis that now grips our nation.

The author is Agriwatch chair, former Secretary of Presidential Programs and Projects, and former Undersecretary of DA and DTI. E-mail: [email protected]