The FAO-ESCAP pilot project on national water visions. From vision ...

• Increasing water usage efficiency through application of measures, i.e. proper crop
selection and techniques such as sprinkler or drip irrigation, and other options.
• Improving the design, construction, operation and maintenance of water supply
facilities to improve efficiency and minimize water losses.
3. Water-related disasters
1. Formulating contingency plans for the management of responses to natural disasters,
extreme climatic events and other emergencies
2. Developing and maintaining databases for impact analysis of a particular disasters
3. Developing and improving assessment techniques and models
4. Conducting training, dialogue and consultation to improve knowledge, skills and attitudes
in planning, documentation and evaluation of the system
5. Developing and strengthening organization, linkages and networking
VIII. STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN FOR THE VISION
1. Implementation of the national water vision
An initial, four-year plan of action is proposed. It should start with a press conference to drum up
interest in the Philippine water vision. As the arbiter for all water resources development in the
Philippines, NWRB will conduct the press conference. <strong>The</strong> legislators behind the Clean Water Act
will be invited to attend. Bills on water now pending in Congress will be reviewed to see if they can
be merged into a single bill. Ground working with politicians and executives will begin as soon as the
press conference is held. <strong>The</strong> Philippine Center for Water and Sanitation will spearhead the
establishment of the Philippine Water 21 Partnership, a partnership formed among the participants in
the workshop towards the attainment of the national water vision.
2. Water supply and sanitation
<strong>The</strong> priority programme in this sector is the creation in the first three years of the 25-year span of an
authority to oversee water supply and sanitation and involve all stakeholders in the various activities
required for the achievement of all objectives.
<strong>The</strong>re is a definite need for an agency responsible for sewerage. As far as water supply is concerned,
there are already many government agencies involved, whose functions are defined by NEDA. In the
case of sewerage, however, at present only the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System
(MWSS) actually operates the sewerage system. MWSS cannot be designated for sewerage since it
operates only in the metropolis, whose concerns may not be those of other urban areas. While a
Central Planning Office for Sewerage has been created in LWUA by virtue of a NEDA board
resolution, it has not been operational as an agency due to budgetary constraints. So, a definite
vacuum needs to be filled.
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