Water security
NOW that the summer of 2018 is almost over, we can talk about the issue of water security soberly and rationally.
At the outset, it must be said that the local government sector feels secure that the man at the helm of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) is someone who identifies with our aspirations.
After all, the man appointed by President Duterte to head the MWSS as its Administrator came from the ranks of LGU leadership – retired Police Deputy Director-General Reynaldo Velasco who also served as mayor of his hometown, Sta. Barbara, Pangasinan.
Administrator Velasco brings to the position three distinct capabilities: his understanding of “security” which now applies to our water situation; his affinity with the aspiration of local communities, particularly those that are still developing; and, his ability to keep his ears close to the ground. Add to this his engineering degree from the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) and one can say that President Duterte could not have chosen a better executive to head the MWSS.
Administrator Velasco came to office at a time when water security has become an issue that is both real and crucial. The issue becomes “hotter”, pardon the pun, during the summer months when water levels at dams and reservoirs ebb, making people pray for rain.
The fact that water fit for household use is a scarce resource was highlighted just a few weeks ago. It will be recalled that media briefly spotlighted a minor controversy between the two giant water concessionaires Maynilad and Manila Water. In a bid to meet the demands of their respective customers, it appeared that the two companies had difficulties in sharing the depleted water resources available in one of the major dams in Metro Manila.
The brief spat led many to ask the question as to whether or not the present water resources would be enough serve the needs of the residents of Metro Manila and nearby provinces.
This is where the experience and training of Administrator Velasco proved valuable. He quickly halted the brewing conflict and exerted his authority on the situation and on the parties concerned.
More important, he made it clear that the MWSS has clear plans to ensure water security and to get those plans implemented. Having faced the toughest assignments during his career in the Philippine National Police (PNP) Administrator Velasco definitely knows the difference between “safety” and “security”, as well as the distinction between “water sufficiency” and “water security”.
Sufficiency refers to meeting the needs only of the present. Security means making sure that the “sufficiency” of the supply is sustained in the long term. Sufficiency is for the “now”. Security involves both the now and the future.
In the bid for water security, the province of Rizal plays a vital role. On this aspiration, Rizal province proves once more that it is a “good neighbor” to nearby Metro Manila.
It looks like the MWSS under Administrator Velasco has sped up the processes leading to the use of the water that would come from a river system located in the mountains in the boundary of Rizal and Quezon provinces. This is the Kaliwa-Kanan-Agos River basin which flows through the towns of Infanta and General Nakar in Quezon province, and whose river banks are shared by a number of Rizal towns.
Based on MWSS plans, a dam is set to be built in order to harness the power of this river basin. We presume that the huge pipe system needed to bring the water of that river system to the filtration plants in the MWSS premises in Quezon City will have to pass through some of the towns of Rizal, particularly Tanay, Baras and Teresa, and perhaps, even some portions of Antipolo City.
The MWSS initiative is welcome and creates much hope that water supply for the major metropolis can be made secure.
An efficient and stable supply of clean water is vital to local community progress.
That principle has been proven true in the experience of Antipolo City and other Rizal towns. Progress in these areas have accelerated in the recent years when pipes were laid to connect our households to reliable and clean supply of water.
Even our national hero after whom our province was named recognized the vital role of an efficient system of water supply and distribution.
It will be recalled that during his exile in Dapitan, Dr. Jose Rizal bought out the town planner-architect-builder in him. He transformed the center of that town into a well-planned area based on his recollection of how European cities were designed.
He also planned and supervised the construction of a water system for the town.
Historians relate that Dr. Rizal tapped the water from a mountain stream, built a dam using available resources in the area, and laid out a waterworks system that provided water to the homes of the people of his adoptive town.
The supply of clean water did not just help Dapitan’s progress; it also gave people dignity. That is also what Administrator Velasco’s MWSS is all about. *For feedback, please email it to antipolocitygov@gmail.com or send it to #4 Horse Shoe Drive, Beverly Hills Subdivision, Bgy. Beverly Hills, Antipolo City, Rizal.