WELCOME TO THE WATER SUMMIT, CO-ORGANIZED BY OUR FRIENDS FROM THE STRATBASE INSTITUTE. TODAY, WE COME TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY, UNITED BY A SHARED RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT OUR WATER RESOURCES AND IN TURN PROVIDE AMPLE WATER SUPPLY TO SUSTAIN OUR COMMUNITIES, GROW OUR FOOD AND SUPPORT OUR INDUSTRIES. THIS SUMMIT CANNOT COME AT A MORE APPROPRIATE TIME AS WE CONFRONT A DWINDLING SUPPLY FROM ANGAT AND AN IMPENDING DRY SPELL BROUGHT BY THE EL NIÑO CONDITION THIS YEAR, AND OF COURSE NEXT YEAR.

CENTRAL TO OUR EFFORTS FOR BETTER WATER GOVERNANCE IS THE RECOGNITION THAT WATER IS INTRINSICALLY LINKED TO THE UNITED NATIONS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS. FROM ERADICATING POVERTY AND HUNGER, TO ENSURING HEALTH AND WELL-BEING THROUGH CLEAN WATER AND SANITATION FOR ALL, PROTECTING LIFE ON LAND AND BELOW WATER, TO CLIMATE ACTION, WATER UNDERPINS THE ACHIEVEMENT OF ALL OF THESE GOALS. TO THIS WE SHOULD ADD, AND IN CONNECTION WITH THE GRAPHIC SHOWN BY PROFESSOR MANHIT EARLIER, WATER IS RELATED TO MIGRATION WHERE RESOURCES ARE NOT AVAILABLE PEOPLE WILL MOVE. IT IS ALSO CONNECTED WITH FORCED DISPLACEMENT WHERE DISASTER HAS ACTUALLY HAPPENED OR ARE WATER-RELATED, PEOPLE WILL NEED TO MOVE.

THE ACHIEVEMENT OF ALL THESE GOALS BY ADDRESSING WATER-RELATED CHALLENGES COMPREHENSIVELY WILL REQUIRE US TO UNLOCK THE POTENTIAL FOR TRANSFORMATIVE CHANGE ACROSS ALL SECTORS OF SOCIETY, AND THIS SHOULD INCLUDE THE MOST VULNERABLE.

THE SOLUTION TO OUR PROBLEMS STARTS WITH FIXING THE DISCONNECTED AND FRAGMENTED MANAGEMENT OF WATER BY MORE THAN A DOZEN AGENCIES OF GOVERNMENT CAN ACTUALLY HAPPEN. IN MAY, THE PRESIDENT CREATED THE WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT OFFICE (WRMO) BY VIRTUE OF EXECUTIVE ORDER 22. IT IS A SIGNIFICANT FIRST STEP, AS IT IS THE FIRST TIME IN OUR COUNTRY’S HISTORY THAT MAJORITY OF WATER AGENCIES ARE NOW UNDER ONE ROOF. WITH MWSS, LWUA AND THE 500+ WATER DISTRICTS NOW ATTACHED TO THE DENR, THEY JOIN THE LLDA, NWRB AND SEVERAL DENR OFFICES THAT ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR WATER QUALITY, FLOOD MONITORING, GROUNDWATER MAPPING, WATERSHED PROTECTION, WATER QUALITY MANAGEMENT, AND SO ON. SEVERAL AGENCIES HAVE ALSO BEEN DIRECTED TO CLOSELY WORK WITH THE WRMO, INCLUDING, AND THIS IS ONGOING, THE DPWH FOR INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS, NEDA FOR THE ECONOMIC VALUATION OF WATER AND NIA FOR THE IRRIGATION THAT WE NEED IN OUR AGRICULTURE SECTOR.

LAST MONTH, THE PRESIDENT ALSO SIGNED MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR 22, DIRECTING THE WRMO TO LAUNCH A NATIONWIDE PROGRAM FOR WATER CONSERVATION. WE STARTED WITH PLUGGING THE LEAKS OF GOVERNMENT FACILITIES WITH THE HIGHEST WATER CONSUMPTION. THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY ISSUING BULLETINS TO BUILDING ADMINISTRATORS AND CHIEF EXECUTIVES AT THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT LEVEL ON WATER CONSERVATION STRATEGIES.

THROUGH THE DENR, WE HAVE ALSO TAKEN SEVERAL STEPS. THE FIRST OF WHICH IS, WE ORGANIZED A NEW OFFICE AT THE DENR UNDER AN UNDERSECRETARY – THE UNDERSECRETARY FOR INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE. THIS IS A NEW OFFICE, AND THIS IS IN CONTRAST TO THE OTHER PLANTILLA POSITIONS WHICH IS HEADED BY LAWYERS. THE REGULATORY FUNCTION OF THE DENR HAS IN FACT, BEEN STRENGTHENED OVER THE YEARS, IT IS NOW TIME TO STRENGTHEN THE SCIENCE FUNCTION OF THE DENR.

SECONDLY, WE HAVE CREATED A GEOSPATIAL DATABASE OFFICE. WE CONTINUE TO MAP, MONITOR AND QUANTIFY OUR COUNTRY’S WATER RESOURCES. TODAY, WE ARE ABLE TO IDENTIFY RIVERS THAT POTENTIALLY CAN SUPPLY MULTIPLE LGUS, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME PROVIDING IRRIGATION WATER TO RURAL FARMS, PRODUCE HYDROPOWER AND SERVE AS FLOOD CONTROL INFRASTRUCTURE AS WELL. SUCH INTEGRATED PROJECTS WILL ENHANCE WATER AVAILABILITY AND REDUCE VULNERABILITY DESPITE THE UNCERTAINTIES BROUGHT BY CLIMATE CHANGE. THEY ALSO ALLOW A SINGLE INVESTMENT TO GENERATE MULTIPLE POSITIVE VALUES ACROSS DIFFERENT SECTORS.

ONE OF THE BUREAUS UNDER THE DENR IS THAT OF THE FOREST MANAGEMENT BUREAU. IT IS FMB THAT IS IN CHARGE OF WATERSHED PROTECTION AND ENHANCEMENT THROUGH THE PATROLLING AND REFORESTATION EFFORTS OF OUR DIFFERENT DEPUTIZED REGIONS. MAINTAINING OUR WATERSHEDS PLAY A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN ENSURING THAT A ROBUST QUANTITY AND APPROPRIATE QUALITY OF WATER IS AVAILABLE FOR OUR USE. FOR THESE EFFORTS WE HAVE ALSO FOUND PARTNERS WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO AS WE RECOGNIZE THAT THE GOVERNMENT CANNOT DO THIS ALONE. EVERYONE’S CONTRIBUTION IS REQUIRED AND DEEPLY APPRECIATED.

IN JANUARY 2023, WE COMPLETED THE IRR FOR THE EXTENDED PRODUCERS RESPONSIBILITY OR EPR LAW. THIS IS A LANDMARK LAW THAT AIMS TO RECOVER PLASTIC WASTE BEFORE IT REACHES OUR WATERWAYS. THIS SHOULD HAVE SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS IN IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF WATER IN OUR RIVERS AND PAVE THE WAY TOWARDS RECLAIMING THESE WATER RESOURCES, LIKE THE PASIG RIVER, AS NATURAL ASSETS AND NOT AS LIABILITIES.

IN SUMMARY, IN THIS SUMMIT WE HOPE TO AFFIRM OUR COMMITMENT TO UNIVERSAL ACCESS TO CLEAN WATER, RECOGNIZE THE URGENCY OF ADDRESSING POLLUTION AND CLIMATE CHANGE, AND EMBRACE THE TRANSFORMATIVE POTENTIAL OF INNOVATION AND PARTNERSHIPS. THE JOURNEY TOWARDS WATER SECURITY MAY BE DAUNTING, BUT OUR COLLECTIVE RESOLVE AND SHARED RESPONSIBILITY WILL GUIDE US TOWARDS SUCCESS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR UNWAVERING DEDICATION TO WATER FOR ALL, AND LET US CONTINUE OUR WORK WITH FOCUS, PASSION, URGENCY, AND UNWAVERING COMMITMENT.

THANK YOU AND GOOD AFTERNOON.
###