Poe calls ‘unacceptable’ Maynilad water disruptions

SEN. Grace Poe finds “unacceptable” an announced extended waterless supply starting July 12, and has prodded the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) to adopt urgent remedial action to mitigate the impact of the service interruption affecting almost 600,000 Maynilad Water Service customers. MWSS should not take this matter sitting down as these recurring service cuts will affect over half a million consumers,” said Poe, the chairperson of the Senate Committee on Public Services.

S he lamented that the Maynilad water service customers have already noticed that the period of water supply shutdowns were “stretching for hours and getting longer,” and she complained this is “unacceptable.”

For its part, Maynilad said its customers may experience up to 9 hours of nightly water service interruptions starting July 12, blaming it on “the decreasing water level of Angat Dam.”

I n turn, the senator suggested that the MWSS determine wheth-

T he order also mandates all cities and municipalities to set up one-stop shops for construction permits, which will provide frontline services to applicants securing building permits and other related certificates.

S ubject to existing laws, rules and regulations, all covered government agencies and LGUs must implement a zero backlog policy in all applications for permits and clearances covered by EO 32, which also required them to comply with the annual submission of list of pending applications and compliance with the ARTA.

T he EO also organizes a Technical Working Group (TWG) on Telecommunications and Internet Infrastructure as an oversight body to ensure efficient implementation of the order.

T he TWG, chaired by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), will craft the EO’s implementing rules and regulations within 60 days from the effectivity of the order. Andrea E. San Juan

POE er water utilities like Maynilad are “adhering to their obligations based on their franchise.”

MWSS should be proactive,” Poe stressed. “It cannot be just the bearer of bad news to consumers of Maynilad’s water cuts.”

Moreover, the senator said that Maynilad should have acted urgently in investing and building its supply capacities to “avoid being caught flatfooted by increasing demand for potable water as what is happening now.”

The utility should not simply rely

“on the volume of rainfall. When there’s a water shortage, they always blame Angat Dam,” she noted. Poe also wants MWSS and the water concessionaire to tell the public of the long-term and short-term solutions to the water shortage.

T he senator reminded them that the authority granted to concessionaires to distribute water to consumers carries a serious obligation to deliver efficient service.

I n addition, she stressed anew the need to establish a Department of Water Resources to give better focus on water use, management and sources.

A s author of the enabling bill, she sought to give the new department the task of primary policy, planning, coordinating, implementing, monitoring and administration of water concerns for the executive branch.

Poe noted that the regulatory framework for water in the country has many overlaps, and economic regulations are provided under different setups, resulting in instability and fragmentation. Butch Fernandez

National Treasurer Rosalia

V. De Leon said international credit rating agencies are “not really concerned” with the outstanding debt of the country since they saw that our “debt profile continues to be resilient.”

A factor to the country’s “resilient” debt profile, De Leon said, is the mix of the country’s debt portfolio, which is about 68 percent local and 32 percent foreign.

“Even the maturity, the average maturity of our debt, is about 7.6 years which is every manageable in terms of our repayment capacity. Even in terms of interest rates, about 88 percent is fixed rates, meaning there’s no repricing even if interest rates rise,” she added.

N onetheless, De Leon conceded that the Philippines could exceed the P14.63-trillion projected outstanding debt by the end of the year.

D espite this, Diokno remains confident the country can meet the debt-to-GDP target this year.

It is not bad to borrow money if you are going to use the money for business, and we are using the money for infrastructure,” he said.

L atest BTr data showed that the country’s outstanding debt as of end-May stood at P14.096 trillion, P185 billion higher than the P13.911-trillion recorded debt stock in end-April.

O n a yearly basis, the country’s debt stock was P1.601 trillion higher than the P12.495-trillion debt level recorded by the country in May 2022.

T he country’s debt has grown by P676 billion since end-December 2022 when it was estimated at P13.42 trillion.

T he latest debt figure is already 96.35 percent of the anticipated P14.63-trillion outstanding debt of the national government by the end of the year.

GAME CHANGER. Photo provides a bird’s-eye view of the 29.7-kilometer LutimanGuicam-Olutanga (LGO) road, one of three core road projects under the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-assisted Improving Growth Corridors in Mindanao Road Sector Project (IGCMRSP) implemented and completed by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). The DPWH said this project in Zamboanga Sibugay Province has now contributed to the development of agribusiness, ecotourism, and logistics in the island of Olutanga and the town of Alicia. (See Story on A4) DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS AND HIGHWAYS

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

REDUCING the student-classroom ratio and instituting remedial programs for lagging students are crucial steps in improving the quality of the country’s education system in the post-lockdown era, according to the government’s think tank.

This will however require more investments, even in Metro Manila, said a Policy Note by Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) Senior Research Fellow Michael R.M. Abrigo and President Aniceto C. Orbeta Jr.

Abrigo and Orbeta said in Metro Manila, there are still 48 students per classroom while in Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), there are 54 students in a classroom. The target of the government is to bring down these numbers to 40 students per classroom.

“Despite prioritizing education in the government budget, the country’s public education spending remains below its Southeast Asian peers. In -

THERE are 18 Indigenous People (IP) groups that are composed of less than 1,000 individuals, according to the latest Census of Population and Housing (CPH).

Based on the CPH data, the Kailawan/Kaylawan have only 117 people followed by the Buhid Mangyan at 169 people.

“The categories of ethnicity were provided by the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples and the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos,” PSA said.

Other IP groups with fewer than 1,000 individuals are the Kabayukan with 201; Dumagat-Tagebolus, 222; Manobo-Blit-Tasaday, 241; Talaingod, 300; Kabihug, 308; BukidnonHalowodnon, 320; and the Magkunana, 451.

The list also includes the KalingaMinanga with 508 individuals; Isneg/ Isnag, 547; Bukidnon-Tagoloanon, 571; Kaunana, 573; Lambanguian, 574; Manobo-Blit, 836; KalingaGaang, 858; Manobo-Dunggoanon, 876; and Bukidnon-Pan-Anayon, 928.

In 2020, PSA said IPs identified by National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) comprised 9.84 million or 9.1 percent of the 108.67 million household population.

“The top 10 IP groups in the Philippines accounted for about 48.3 percent of the total IPs,” PSA said.

Data showed the Subanens/Subanons ranked first with 758,499 persons accounting for 7.7 percent of the total followed by the Manobos with 644,904 persons at 6.6 percent, and

Mandayas with 523,475 persons at 5.3 percent.

The PSA also said Muslim tribes identified by the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF), including the tribes that were also identified as IPs by the NCIP, accounted for 7.11 million or 6.5 percent of the 108.67 million household population in 2020.

Among Muslim tribes, PSA said Maguindanao accounted for 2.02 million persons or 28.4 percent of the total.

They were followed by the Maranao with 1.8 million persons or 25.3 percent of the total followed by the Tausog/Tausug with 1.62 million persons at 22.7 percent; Sama/Samal, 398,666 persons or 5.6 percent; Iranun/Iraynun, 333,454 or 4.7 percent; and Yakan with 282,715 persons or 4 percent.

PSA said the remaining Muslim tribes accounted for less than two percent each.

Among the 108.67 million household population, 93.09 million or 85.7 percent were classified as nonIndigenous Peoples (non-IPs).

The remaining 15.56 million household population were IPs identified by NCIP with 8.21 million or 7.6 percent of the total; while Muslim tribes identified by the NCMF reached 5.48 million or 5 percent.

IPs and Muslim tribes identified by both NCIP and NCMF account for 1.63 million persons or 1.5 percent and foreign ethnicities with 230,917 persons or 0.2 percent. Cai U. Ordinario

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz @joveemarie

IN light of a larger-than-usual intrusion of about 48 Chinese vessels into Philippine waters last week, House Committee on Ways and Means Chairman Joey Sarte Salceda said on Sunday he will enhance discussions on the nation’s maritime defense capabilities to know what resources are needed to ensure the Philippines is ready. He will also initiate discussions on updates on the review of the US-Philippine Mutual Defense Treaty during budget deliberations on the 2024 General Appropriations Act.

“I’m glad Secretary [Gilberto] Teodoro is now on board the administration because we have serious questions of maritime defense capabilities that need to be addressed in the 2024 budget. I will be sending in questions that I hope the DND, the National Security Adviser, and the Philippine Coast Guard can provide answers to during the budget hearings,” Salceda said in a statement.

“To the extent that discretion allows, it is in the public’s interest to know what preparations are being made to defend our territorial waters,” Salceda added.

He explained that “a fuller picture would help us understand what policy reforms are needed to bolster our defense capabilities.” deed, in a recent analysis, countries that performed poorly in the recent PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment), such as the Philippines, have invested relatively less in schooling per person,” Abrigo at Orbeta said.

Apart from this, the two researchers said the majority of students have below-minimum proficiency levels. This means many Filipino children are lagging behind, especially after the longest lockdown in the world.

The authors said during the lockdowns, “children from richer households were also more likely to have better-quality home support through their better-educated parents and guardians.”

The challenge when it comes to quality education is compounded by the struggles before the pandemic. Abrigo and Orbeta noted that “when adjusted for performance, average schooling in the Philippines translates to only 7–8 years’ worth of schooling, or a learning gap of about 6 years.”

“A promising intervention used in other countries is ‘teaching at the

As an example, Salceda said the Ways and Means committee worked on amendments to the Official Development Assistance (ODA) Law to accommodate more foreign aid from European countries in the areas of defense.

“So, what we really need from the DND is how much it would take to get us to adequate readiness. It doesn’t matter what we can afford. We can explore different sources. What matters is how far we have gone and what steps we still need to take,” Salceda added.

The lawmaker also said he supports the acquisition of advanced defense capabilities as part of AFP modernization.

“This year, we will be acquiring USmade High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) and Indian BrahMos anti-ship cruise missiles. They have lethal capacity for maritime aggression. This is one of the most underreported accomplishments of the President, and fully support him in this. We in Congress will make room in the budget and our foreign aid policy for this,” he said.

“PBBM is accomplishing many things under the radar. One of the major strides of his administration is AFP modernization. He’s able to do that because his emphasis on peacemaking and internal unity is allowing us to focus more on external

By Rene Acosta @reneacostaBM

right level’, which recognizes differences in student abilities and learning stages and provides appropriate interventions specific to the student’s current learning levels. Such interventions have been proven to be both effective and scalable,” Abrigo and Orbeta said.

Apart from these, the authors recommended leveraging technology for greater student-centered education. Content must be focused on increasing the interaction between teachers and learners as well as enabling greater learners’ control of their education, they added.

They also recommended greater private school participation in the Department of Education’s Education Service Contracting for junior high school, the Senior High School Voucher Program, and the Joint Delivery Voucher Program for Technical-Vocational-Livelihood Specialization. By expanding these programs, Abrigo and Orbeta said the government may be able to tap on a “costeffective way of addressing several extant issues on education access and quality.” threats. Moving forward, my Committee also hopes to support with policy our capability to build ships, and a homegrown defense industry. Every decent military force has one,” he added.

Treaty review MEANWHILE, Salceda said he intends to ask the DND whether there are updates or changes to the previous administration’s policy of reviewing the PH-US mutual defense treaty, including the triggers and extent to which the US will help defend Philippine security interests.

“The US has dramatically expanded its military footprint in the Philippines, so it is important that lawmakers understand how, when, and to what extent that presence will be used. What counts as an act of aggression that the US will defend the Philippines from? I think clarity on that scale is also a deterrent to would-be aggressors. Otherwise, what’s the point of having the US here with their big guns?” he said.

“I don’t think we should be content with the US’s policy of ‘strategic ambiguity’ in Asia-Pacific. I support the reinvigorated partnership between our countries. But having more US bases here serves their security interests. It’s a fair price to ask for clarity,” Salceda added.

By Jonathan L. Mayuga @jonlmayuga

TO avert extreme water supply shortage, the Water Resource Management Office (WRMO), a unit under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), is pushing for a water conservation measure for the whole Metro Manila and for areas adjacent to the National Capital Region (NCR).

WRMO Bulletin 2 has instructed barangay officials and condominium and subdivision managers to advise residents to conserve water through activities that will reduce the consumption of large amounts of water, such as watering lawns and washing vehicles.

The water conservation advisory was handed down as the water level in Angat Dam, which supplies potable water to the NCR and nearby provinces, continues to drop amid an impending El Niño dry spell.

As of July 8, 2023, the water level in Angat Dam was at 179.99 meters, which is below the 180-meter minimum operating level.

When below operating levels, the allocation for irrigation will be reduced and supply for NCR and the provinces of Rizal, Cavite and Bulacan will be at the minimum volume.

As such, residents could expect lower water pressures mainly during the night and possible interruptions in certain areas serviced by MWSS.

Previous episodes of water supply shortage compel the National Water Resources Board (NWRB), an office under the DENR, to reduce water allocation for Metro Manila, resulting in massive water supply interruptions in the entire NCR and nearby provinces affecting a population of approximately 12 million water consumers.

Under MC 22, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. directed the WRMO to monitor the progress of all agencies towards conserving water through the analysis of their monthly water bills, with the aim of reducing their consumption by 10 percent.

Created last April by virtue of Executive Order 22, the WRMO is mandated to ensure the availability and sustainable management of water resources in the country.

WRMO Bulletin 1 was earlier issued pursuant to MC 22 signed by Marcos mandated all government agencies and instrumentalities to strictly implement water conservation measures to prevent a water crisis amid a looming El Niño phenomenon.

In its latest WRMO Bulletin, the water resource body encouraged residents to practice rainwater collection for non-potable use of water and to reuse laundry and dishwashing wastewater for watering plants.

viding modern equipment alone,” the President said.

CLARK FREEPORT—The government’s premier planning body cited the role of this Freeport in driving Central Luzon’s progress.

The significance of this Freeport was underscored during the hybrid event, “Clark in Action: The Role of Clark Freeport Zone in the Socioeconomic Transformation of Central Luzon,” held at the Clark Visitors Center on July 4.

Co-organized by the Clark Development Corp. (CDC) and NEDA Regional Office 3 (NEDA RO 3), the event served as a platform to highlight the Freeport Zone’s vital and dynamic contributions to the region’s overall progress. During the event, Jose Miguel de la Rosa, CDC vice-president for Administration emphasized the importance of development to the region’s development. He called for the support of locators in aligning with the national government’s efforts to achieve holistic development.

“Now is the time for our locators to understand the national government’s efforts to ensure national and local development,” de la Rosa said.

During the event, Evelyn NacarioCastro, NEDA RO 3 assistant regional director lauded the Freeport Zone for its significant role in economic development. She recognized its contribution to job creation, investment attraction, and increased regional trade and revenue.

“Clark is the arrowhead in terms of economic development. The unemployment in the region [Central Luzon) is at 5 percent, that means on the 95 percent, you have a major contribution on that and of course on investments, the trade that are coming in and even your contribution to national coffers,” Castro said.

“So, you are that arrowhead. Not only for the region but also nationally. You have a big role to play in that you are generators and key players on jobs and investments that are here generating more revenues for the country,” Castro added.

“You serve as the model for smart development. You are also serving as the showcase for the kind of development we want to have,” she furthered.

For her part, Nerissa T. Esguerra, Regional Director of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), discussed the key components of the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) and the Central Luzon Regional Development Plan (CLRDP) for the years 2023 to 2028.

“With Metro Clark identified as a strategic growth area in the Central Luzon Regional Physical Framework Plan 2020-2024, Clark Freeport Zone will prime itself as a sustainable and industrial zone with world-class international connectivity,” Esguerra said.

“Central Luzon must continue to harness its export and investment potential. Its wealth of resources, pool of skilled human capital, infrastructure development, and presence of special economic zones make the region a haven for export processing and investment,” Esguerra underlined in her presentation.

The event gathered 77 locator companies and 35 CDC employees, representing a diverse range of stakeholders in the region’s progress.

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said the administration’s commitment to the modernization of the military extends beyond the acquisition of modern assets and equipment as it also includes the further improvement of the capability as well as the morale and welfare of soldiers.

The Commander-in-Chief underscored this during his address of the 106 graduates of the Officer Candidate Course (OCC) “GAIGMAT” Class 58-2023 held over the weekend at the headquarters of the Philippine Army at Fort Bonifacio in Taguig City.

Addressing the newly-minted Army junior officers, Marcos said that aside from equipping the military, his administration is also focused in providing the soldiers with necessary skills and knowledge “to excel and overcome current and pressing threats.”

“Be assured that the government’s dedication to your advancement and welfare goes beyond pro -

“We continue to prioritize retooling and retraining to arm you with intellectual fortitude, tactical prowess, and strategic acumen to thrive on the modern battlefield,” he added.

Marcos is the first President to lead the OCC graduation rites which was also attended by Department of National Defense Secretary Gilberto C. Teodoro Jr., the Armed Forces Chief of Staff General Andres C. Centino, Army Commanding General Lt. Gen. Romeo S. Brawner Jr. and Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) commander Maj. Gen. Luis Rex D. Bergante.

The President said that he has already instructed leaders of the military to ensure that the AFP modernization is on schedule as he imparted his knowledge to new generation of military professionals.

“Let patriotism permeate every fiber of your being, empowering you to navigate the complexities of the field with heightened awareness and true mastery of your craft,” Marcos said.

Meanwhile, the WRMO has directed all local government units in the NCR to fast-track the approval of pipe repairs of water concessionaires Manila Water and Maynilad.

“As we prepare for even drier conditions due to El Niño, it is, more than ever, important to conserve water in order to prevent massive water interruptions later this year,” the WRMO Bulletin No 2 said.

The water body shall conduct spot inspections of office buildings for “unwarranted use of water,” leaks and faulty bathroom fixtures. The team will ensure that WRMO Bulletin 1 and WRMO Bulletin 2 are posted in offices accordingly.

The WRMO said that together with the Metropolitan Water and Sewerage System (MWSS), it will review the monthly water bills of all government facilities in accordance with MC 22. Notices on excessive use of water shall be issued, it added.

The office also advised the public to report leaks along streets to the MWSS or to water service providers. Leaks within compounds and which may need major repairs may be reported to the DENR-WRMO.