Senatorial aspirant Sorsogon Governor Francis ‘’Chiz’’ Escudero on Wednesday, Dec. 29 said the country’s long-term water supply and sanitation master plan needs additional funding to ensure that every Filipino has access to a safe, sufficient and affordable water and sanitation that is deemed crucial to the overall development of the Philippines.

And if elected to the Senate in May 2022 elections, Escudero said he would ensure that the National Economic Development Authority’s (NEDA) Philippine Water Supply and Sanitation Master Plan or the PWSSMP would receive more budget allocation to hit the universal access to sustainable and sanitation goal by 2030.

“Like power and electricity, we must bring water from where it is in excess to where it is scarce,” the veteran lawmaker said, as he welcomed NEDA’S launch of the PWSSMP project recently.

Escudero, who used to chair Senate's Committee on Environment and Natural Resources , noted that the long-term plan reflects the Philippines’ commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations where clean water and sanitation is one of its 17 global goals to achieve “a better and more sustainable future for all.

“Isa sa mga susi ng maunlad at malusog na pamayanan ay ang pagkakaroon ng sapat na suplay ng malinis na tubig at tamang sanitasyon (The key to a progressive and healthy citizenry is the availability of enough supply of clean water and proper sanitation),” he said.

Escudero is seeking a return to the Senate next year. “Tulad ng kuryente, ang tubig ay para sa lahat, hindi lamang para sa iilan (Like power, water is for everybody, not to a few),’’ he explained.

The implementation of the national action plan, however, won’t be easy as establishing effective water supply and sanitation sector institutions and strengthening the regulatory environment are needed to address the future increase in water consumption and gaps in sanitation services, according to NEDA.

NEDA also said that the Philippines needs to invest a total of P1.1 trillion to meet the SDG on water supply and sanitation in 10 years.

This would mean an annual investment of over P100 billion between 2020 and 2030.

Annual expenditure for water and sanitation, however, only amounts to approximately P5 billion resulting to a P9-billion gap, NEDA pointed out.

NEDA chief, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Chua, has also said that only about 44 percent of households around the country have individual water connection to a proper and fully reticulated waterworks system.

Because of this challenge, Escudero stressed the need for the government to come up with more incentives so investors and other stakeholders would be encouraged put in their money in water and sanitation projects and other water-related infrastructure.

“Kung nakayanan ng gobyerno ng magbigay ng insentibo sa mga negosyante para maglagak ng puhunan sa kuryente at internet connection sa kanayunan, bakit hindi rin ibigay ito sa negosyante na magpapabuti sa estado ng patubig sa bansa (If the government was able to give incentives to businessmen so they could finance electric power and internet connection in the countryside, why not also give incentives to businessmen to improve water supply in the country),” he said.

“At kung papalaring makabalik sa Senado, tututukan natin at papataasin pa ang pondo na dapat ilaan para sa tubig (If elected to a seat in the Senate, we will focus on the increase of funds for water supply),’’ he explained.