By EDD K. USMAN
MANILA, Philippines --- The country is “running out of fresh water.”
This was the warning aired by Dr. Emil Q. Javier, academician and president of the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) Philippines, as he underscored the need to discuss issues related to water.
NAST is an advisory body to the Department of Science and Technology (DoST).
Javier stated this Wednesday during an open forum at the Roundtable Discussion (RTD) on “How Safe is the Water We Are Drinking?”
Various speakers presented papers on the topic at the RTD, one of the series of events leading to the Philippine Water 2050 at the historic landmark Manila Hotel on July 11-12.
NAST’s RTDs focus on issues and concerns about this year’s theme, “Philippine Water 2050,” such as “provision of clean and potable water; water for irrigation; septage and sanitation; flood control/mitigation; energy generation; ecology and biodiversity of bodies of water; water rights; and governance/management of water resources.”
Javier stood up during the RTD’s open forum held on May 24 in Pasay City as he lauded the exchanges between the presenters, all of them experts in their fields, and the audience composed of graduate students, government functionaries, professionals, media members, among others.
“We are running out of fresh water,” Javier interjected as the exchanges turned to how long the country’s water resources would last.
“There is really a need to make people concern (on this situation)... encourage the local level to look at their water supply,” said the NAST head.
A paper presented by academician Fernando P. Siringan, of the Marine Science Institute of the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City, pointed, among others, areas with “stressed ground water.”
Siringan said these are Metro Manila and Metro Cebu, Baguio City, and “other highly urbanized cities are at risk to future water shortage.”
Javier said everyone should be concerned with the water issue. He suggested a broader tackling of the issues for the long-term, for the next generation or two.
On the other hand, an official of Manila Water (MW), provider for Metro Manila’s East Zone, assured Thursday that drinking water from the tap is safe for consumers.
Evangeline M. Clemente of MW gave this assurance during the NAST forum.
Tap water is safer than bottled water, particularly those that do not undergo treatment as stringent as what the East Zone water provider does to its water supply, she said.
“I encourage you to drink from the tap,” said Clemente, as she concluded her lecture titled “How is Water Purified for Consumers: Large Scale Water Purification” that laid MW’s efforts to bring safe and potable water to the consumers.
She said MW’s East Zone covers 23 cities and municipalities, major business centers in Metro Manila, and spans 1,400 kilometers with more than 6.2 million people.
The MW official recalled that the water supplier was born in 1997, and chose to supply water to the East Zone although it also won the bidding for the West Zone, which is Maynilad Water’s territory.
Clemente said MW follows beyond compliance the Philippine National Standards for Drinking Water (PNSDW), which is from Administrative Order No. 2007-0012 of the Department of Health (DOH), and complies with the World Health Organization (WHO) standards for drinking water.
She said WHO puts the standards as such: water should not pose any risk to a normal individual in a lifetime of consumption.
She said MW ensures its water supply’s “potability up to the meter,” stressing that consumers should have a part in ensuring a safe water.
Academician Dr. Veronica P. Migo of the University of the Philippines-Los Baños (UPLB) discussed “Drinking Water Quality.”
Among others, she warned that drinking bottled water sold along streets and buses is unsafe.
The danger, Migo said, is that some sellers of the bottled water just collect empty plastic bottles, fill them with water, and seal them without undergoing treatment to ensure the water’s safety.
Issues about water quality touches on the refilling stations; “fly-by-night” or “garage negosyo” bottlers; bottled water sold along streets and inside passenger buses; among others.
Migo said consumers are responsible for knowing the quality of their drinking water, especially bottled water, by reading and knowing what is written on it.
Another lecturer, academician, and engineer Pantaleon L. Tabanao of the Laguna Water District, spoke about the danger of too much chlorine in drinking water.
Speaking from experience, he said that in Laguna, they use instead chlorine dioxide for their water, illustrating and comparing the two.
He also warned, among others, of the effect of drinking distilled water, presenting a study after some participants challenged his statement.
MANILA, Philippines --- The country is “running out of fresh water.”
This was the warning aired by Dr. Emil Q. Javier, academician and president of the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) Philippines, as he underscored the need to discuss issues related to water.
NAST is an advisory body to the Department of Science and Technology (DoST).
Javier stated this Wednesday during an open forum at the Roundtable Discussion (RTD) on “How Safe is the Water We Are Drinking?”
Various speakers presented papers on the topic at the RTD, one of the series of events leading to the Philippine Water 2050 at the historic landmark Manila Hotel on July 11-12.
NAST’s RTDs focus on issues and concerns about this year’s theme, “Philippine Water 2050,” such as “provision of clean and potable water; water for irrigation; septage and sanitation; flood control/mitigation; energy generation; ecology and biodiversity of bodies of water; water rights; and governance/management of water resources.”
Javier stood up during the RTD’s open forum held on May 24 in Pasay City as he lauded the exchanges between the presenters, all of them experts in their fields, and the audience composed of graduate students, government functionaries, professionals, media members, among others.
“We are running out of fresh water,” Javier interjected as the exchanges turned to how long the country’s water resources would last.
“There is really a need to make people concern (on this situation)... encourage the local level to look at their water supply,” said the NAST head.
A paper presented by academician Fernando P. Siringan, of the Marine Science Institute of the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City, pointed, among others, areas with “stressed ground water.”
Siringan said these are Metro Manila and Metro Cebu, Baguio City, and “other highly urbanized cities are at risk to future water shortage.”
Javier said everyone should be concerned with the water issue. He suggested a broader tackling of the issues for the long-term, for the next generation or two.
On the other hand, an official of Manila Water (MW), provider for Metro Manila’s East Zone, assured Thursday that drinking water from the tap is safe for consumers.
Evangeline M. Clemente of MW gave this assurance during the NAST forum.
Tap water is safer than bottled water, particularly those that do not undergo treatment as stringent as what the East Zone water provider does to its water supply, she said.
“I encourage you to drink from the tap,” said Clemente, as she concluded her lecture titled “How is Water Purified for Consumers: Large Scale Water Purification” that laid MW’s efforts to bring safe and potable water to the consumers.
She said MW’s East Zone covers 23 cities and municipalities, major business centers in Metro Manila, and spans 1,400 kilometers with more than 6.2 million people.
The MW official recalled that the water supplier was born in 1997, and chose to supply water to the East Zone although it also won the bidding for the West Zone, which is Maynilad Water’s territory.
Clemente said MW follows beyond compliance the Philippine National Standards for Drinking Water (PNSDW), which is from Administrative Order No. 2007-0012 of the Department of Health (DOH), and complies with the World Health Organization (WHO) standards for drinking water.
She said WHO puts the standards as such: water should not pose any risk to a normal individual in a lifetime of consumption.
She said MW ensures its water supply’s “potability up to the meter,” stressing that consumers should have a part in ensuring a safe water.
Academician Dr. Veronica P. Migo of the University of the Philippines-Los Baños (UPLB) discussed “Drinking Water Quality.”
Among others, she warned that drinking bottled water sold along streets and buses is unsafe.
The danger, Migo said, is that some sellers of the bottled water just collect empty plastic bottles, fill them with water, and seal them without undergoing treatment to ensure the water’s safety.
Issues about water quality touches on the refilling stations; “fly-by-night” or “garage negosyo” bottlers; bottled water sold along streets and inside passenger buses; among others.
Migo said consumers are responsible for knowing the quality of their drinking water, especially bottled water, by reading and knowing what is written on it.
Another lecturer, academician, and engineer Pantaleon L. Tabanao of the Laguna Water District, spoke about the danger of too much chlorine in drinking water.
Speaking from experience, he said that in Laguna, they use instead chlorine dioxide for their water, illustrating and comparing the two.
He also warned, among others, of the effect of drinking distilled water, presenting a study after some participants challenged his statement.
