By Catherine Teves
MANILA, (PNA) — Government and its partners are exploring ways of fast-tracking implementation of the National Sewerage and Septage Management Program under RA 9275 (Clean Water Act of 2004) to facilitate protection from water pollution that’s jeopardizing public health and the environment aside from costing the country billions of pesos in lost revenue and productivity.
On Tuesday afternoon (Sept. 24), Environmental Management Bureau spearheaded in Metro Manila discussions with other agencies and the private sector regarding financial, administrative and other challenges to implementing NSSMP as well as respective initiatives for this program.
The partners aim to identify as soon as possible mechanisms for fast-tracking NSSMP’s implementation.
”Under the Clean Water Act, all our subdivisions, condominiums, commercial centers, hotels, hospitals, market places and public buildings should already have been connected to the sewerage system by 2010 but the sewerage network itself was so limited in 2004 that for everyone to connect to it within the five years set by law was impossible,” environment chief Ramon Paje said in a speech environment undersecretary Analiza Teh read during the meeting.
He raised urgency for fast-tracking NSSMP’s implementation, noting sanitation and sewerage in the Philippines still lag behind despite RA 9275’s enactment.
”Over 20 million Filipinos still don’t have access to proper sanitation and less than 10 percent of the population is connected to piped sewerage,” he said.
Paje noted delivery of safe water nationwide ”tremendously improved” over the years with over 90 percent of the country’s population already having access to the commodity, however.
According to RA 9275, sewerage “includes, but is not limited to, any system or network of pipelines, ditches, channels, or conduits including pumping stations, lift stations and force mains, service connections including other constructions, devices, and appliances appurtenant thereto, which includes the collection, transport, pumping and treatment of sewage to a point of disposal.”
Sewage is “water-borne human or animal wastes, excluding oil or oil wastes, removed from residences, building, institutions, industrial and commercial establishments together with such groundwater, surface water and storm water as maybe present including such waste from vessels, offshore structures, other receptacles intended to receive or retain waste or other places or the combination thereof,” RA 9275 also reads.
“Septage means the sludge produced on individual on-site wastewater disposal systems, principally septic tanks and cesspools,” RA 9275 reads further.
Parties at the meeting will conduct further discussions on such concerns to help fast-track NSSMP’s implementation.
Citing World Bank data, Paje said water pollution by 2003 cost the Philippines some USD1.3 billion annually.
He noted such economic blow hit tourism (USD900 million), fisheries (USD340 million) and health (USD60 million).
Paje reiterated his call for LGUs to increasingly help improve sewerage and septage management nationwide.
”I take this occasion to reiterate need for LGUs to show greater initiative in, or to contribute more to, water quality management and improvement as ordained in the Clean Water Act,” he said.
He noted Muntinlupa City did its part by putting up a low-cost and small-scale wastewater treatment facility in the public market there.
”That facility not only cleans 210 cu.m. of sewage per day but also allows recycling of the treated wastewater for cleaning and flushing purposes,” he said.
Paje likewise reminded the public to stop polluting the country’s water resources.
”People must be educated to accept responsibility to pay fees for sewerage and septage services just as they patronize fee-charging toilets,” he continued.
He noted generating tariff is needed in inducing investments needed to make NSSMP work viably and sustainably.
”We have a great deal of work ahead of us,” he added.