President Duterte on Thursday expressed full support to the P12.6-Billion bulk water project being undertaken by the Davao City Water District but indicated he was dismayed by a maze of clearances that continues to delay the project.
“It comes at a tremendous cost but it would be able to provide sufficient water to seven additional barangays including those affected by unproductive aquifers once completed,” said President Duterte.
Duterte was guest speaker of the Philippine Association of Water Districts convention at the SM-X Lanang, which drew more than 1,000 participants nationwide.
The president was all praises for the DCWD which he described as the most efficient government institution in Davao City.
He described the water that DCWD supplies as “the best in the world.”
He said a study conducted by hydrologists and geologists showed that Davao City’s coastal aquifers are still in normal condition and not affected by salt water.
The bulk water undertaking sought to tap the surface water of Tamugan and Panigan rivers nearly 600 meters above sea level.
The project is being undertaken by DCWD in partnership with Apo Agua Infrastructura.
In his prepared speech, the President revealed that the project is hampered by “too many agencies that DCWD and Aqua have to deal with for approval and issuance of certifications.”
As detailed in his speech, the project although approved by the City government of Davao, still needed to hurdle the requirements of 10 more government agencies “before a bag of cement can be poured for a mini-dam or a reservoir.”
The Department of Agriculture’s approval was also needed to reclassify the land for industrial use. But an order issued by DA undersecretary Ariel Cayanan last year put on hold land use reclassification on the pretext that the agency cannot cope with the 15-day deadline that President Duterte gave to government agencies to act on all matters brought before them.
In addition, the project still needed to acquire certifications from the National Irrigation Administration, the Sugar Regulatory Administration, House and Land use Regulatory Board and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
The information added that if President Duterte was able to create a Department of Information and Technology, there was no reason him not to create a Department of Water—placing the Local Water Utilities Administration, National Water Regulatory Board and the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System under one department.
