(Delivered by Undersecretary for Field Operations – Luzon, Visayas and Environment Atty. Juan Miguel T. Cuna)
TODAY IS WORLD WATER DAY AND WE JOIN ALL NATION IN CELEBRATING THIS SIGNIFICANT DAY.
WE ALWAYS SAY THAT WATER IS LIFE. SADLY, HOWEVER, UNSUSTAINABLE HUMAN ACTIVITIES CONTINUE TO ADVERSELY IMPACT OUR LIMITED WATER SUPPLY, BE IT SURFACE WATER OR GROUNDWATER.
THIS YEAR’S WORLD WATER DAY THEME IS “GROUNDWATER: MAKING THE INVISIBLE VISIBLE”.
THE UNITED NATIONS REMINDS US THAT, GLOBALLY, GROUNDWATER PROVIDES ALMOST HALF OF ALL DRINKING WATER; ABOUT 40 PERCENT FOR IRRIGATED AGRICULTURE, AND ONE-THIRD OF WATER NEEDED FOR INDUSTRY.
GROUNDWATER SUSTAINS ECOSYSTEMS, MAINTAINS THE BASE-FLOW OF RIVERS, AND PREVENTS LAND SUBSIDENCE AND SEAWATER INTRUSION. IT IS ALSO VITAL TO CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION. YET PEOPLE SEEM NOT TO CARE ABOUT GROUNDWATER AS IT IS “INVISIBLE”. BEING OUT OF OUR SIGHT, IT IS OUT OF OUR MINDS.
THIS IS WHY THE U.N. IS SPOTLIGHTING THIS INVISIBLE YET VITAL RESOURCE — TO ENHANCE KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE AND COLLABORATION, INCREASE PUBLIC AWARENESS AND INITIATE STRONGER ACTIONS TOWARDS PROPER MANAGEMENT OF OUR GROUNDWATER.
THE PHILIPPINES IS ENDOWED WITH AN ABUNDANCE OF WATER. OUR FRESHWATER RESOURCES INCLUDE RIVERS, LAKES, AND GROUNDWATER. WE HAVE SUFFICIENT WATER, BUT NOT ENOUGH IN HIGHLY POPULATED AREAS LIKE METRO MANILA, ESPECIALLY DURING THE DRY SEASON.
THIS SECOND GAWAD TAGA-ILOG: THE SEARCH FOR MOST IMPROVED ESTERO IN METRO MANILA, THAT WE ARE HOLDING RIGHT NOW WAS CONCEIVED OUT OF NECESSITY IN NOVEMBER 2020.
THE GAWAD TAGA-ILOG IS AN INNOVATIVE PROJECT OF THE DENR-NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION THAT AIMS TO MOTIVATE PEOPLE, PARTICULARLY IN THE BARANGAYS, TO CLEAN UP THEIR WATERWAYS IN SUPPORT OF THE REHABILITATION OF MANILA BAY.
THE PILOT RUN OF THE SEARCH WAS SUCCESSFUL, WITH AT LEAST 33 WATERWAYS NOMINATED.
BASED ON THE PRESCRIBED CRITERIA, 3 BARANGAYS EMERGED AS WINNERS. THEY WERE BARANGAYS N-B-B-S DAGAT-DAGATAN AND BANGKULASI IN NAVOTAS CITY FOR BEING THE 2ND RUNNER-UP; BARANGAY MARIKINA HEIGHTS IN MARIKINA CITY AS THE 1ST RUNNER-UP; AND BARANGAY LINGUNAN IN VALENZUELA CITY FOR HAVING THE MOST IMPROVED ESTERO IN 2020, THE FIRST YEAR OF GAWAD TAGA-ILOG.
INSPIRED BY THIS INITIAL SUCCESS, THE DENR-NCR LAUNCHED GAWAD TAGA-ILOG 2.0 FROM JUNE TO NOVEMBER 2021. LAST MONTH, THE FIELD VALIDATION OF THE 13 NOMINATED WATERWAYS WAS COMPLETED. HOWEVER, I CANNOT REVEAL THE WINNERS YET AS THIS WILL SPOIL THE AWARDING PROGRAM.
THIS SEARCH IS TRULY COMMENDABLE AND THIS SHOULD BE REPLICATED IN SELECTED AREAS OF THE MANILA BAY REGIONS TO RECOGNIZE THE EFFORTS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS, PARTNERS, STAKEHOLDERS, AND COMMUNITIES IN CLEANING, RESTORING, AND PROTECTING OUR WATERWAYS.
ON THIS NOTE, CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL, AND LET US CONTINUE TO WORK TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE WATER SECURITY.
MARAMING SALAMAT PO, AT ISANG MAKAKALIKASANG ARAW SA ATING LAHAT.
