THE RISK of water scarcity in the summer months, especially due to El Niño this year, has magnified the urgency to pass measures for the creation of rainwater-catching facilities in the country, a congressman said on Sunday.
In a statement, Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund F. Villafuerte, Jr. said House Bill (HB) No. 5640, which mandates the construction of rainwater collection facilities in property developments, would augment the government’s goal of preventing water scarcity.
“With El Niño seemingly getting nastier by the year, the Congress can help Malacañang improve national water security… by writing legislation that would empower our LGUs (local government units) to compel commercial and residential estate developers to put up facilities for retaining rainwater in their respective properties,” said Mr. Villafuerte, who penned HB No. 5640.
While the country receives an average of 965 to 4,064 millimeters of rainwater annually, most of it goes to waste due to the lack of water catchment systems.
Mandating the creation of these facilities, he said, “is a sensible way for us to address the paradox of water scarcity and flash floods plaguing our country, especially in Metro Manila and cities outside the national capital.”
Last month, President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. said at the inauguration of the completion of a water project that water scarcity is no longer a seasonal issue due to climate change.
“What this demonstrates is a proven approach to battling water scarcity — which is no longer a seasonal challenge but a perpetual threat that comes with climate change,” he said.
El Niño is expected to affect more than 70 provinces in the next three months, with the regions likely to be affected by dry spells and droughts, Presidential Communications Office Assistant Secretary Joey Villarama said in a press briefing last month.
The Department of Agriculture said last week that El Niño has already affected 54,203 farmers, causing P2.63 billion worth of agricultural damage across 53,879 hectares of farmland in 10 regions. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio