Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP) President Dakila Cua stressed Friday, Jan. 5, the urgency of the country to improve its water management system with the impending ill effects of the El Nino phenomenon.
In a press briefing, Cua saw the need for the Philippines to raise the "awareness" of efficiently integrating the water management system in agriculture, industrial, and domestic water use as well as teach the people how to recycle water for other purposes.
He cited the case of Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) where its desert geographical location did not hinder its implementation of an efficient water management system.
Further, Cua pointed to the "stark difference" in the culture mindset of the UAE citizens where water is valued like gold. He said that during the ancient times, people in this Middle East country traveled long miles across the desert carrying heavy loads of water containers.
"I guess it’s about the structure of the policy, the budget of our government funds in terms of investment," Cua noted.
However, Cua stated that the country’s water management system has "standardized" due to the policies of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and Building Code of the Philippines where water treatment facilities are required.
With the advent of the rainwater collection scheme, Cua said that this should be utilized to the fullest with the water collection plans being integrated in the country’s water management system.
As citizens, the public should observe simple water conserving measures like turning the faucets off when not in use and having leaking pipes repaired in the households, he said.