Marcos: Boosted water capacity needed as buffer seen to only last until Q1

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 15) — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. called on the public and private sectors to cooperate in resolving impending water challenges as the Philippines’ standby supply may only last until the end of March.

In a speech during an event on Friday, he said the government has already deployed “accelerated efforts” to prepare for El Niño, which is expected to peak in the first three months of 2024.

“We have a good buffer until the end of the first quarter. What we need to do is to prepare further capacity so that should El Niño extend to the second quarter of next year, we are still able to supply water to urban areas, agriculture, and industries,” he said at the inauguration of the Poblacion Water Treatment Plant in Muntinlupa City.

“We must prepare and apply some of the lessons we have learned during the pandemic when it came to supply of agri products, efficiency of supply chain—all of these will be affected if water resources are inadequate,” Marcos added.

The chief executive urged the private sector to explore opportunities and collaborate with the government in ramping up water programs.

Marcos also reiterated the need to prioritize the repair of water pipes and the completion of ongoing water projects.

Earlier this week, he ordered concerned agencies to complete water projects by April amid threats posed by El Niño.