Provincial officials commit to water-secure Philippines

Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson led local government officials in Bacolod in declaring the commitment of the province to the water-secure Philippines in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Safe Water project.

“I stand before you to affirm our collective commitment to this cause. We accept the challenges laid out before us, and we pledge to continue our efforts with renewed determination,” Lacson said during the 2024 Provincial Water Summit held at Ayala Malls Capitol Central on Wednesday.

During the commitment ceremony, the governor unveiled the #WaterSecurePH installation together with other provincial government officials, local chief executives, representatives from national government agencies, and non-government organizations.

The USAID Safe Water team led by chief of party Alma Porciuncula gave a presentation on the “Journey to Water Security,” outlining the activities and challenges in achieving water security.

“The presentation has highlighted both our commendable achievements and, at the same time, the significant challenges we face in ensuring sustainable water security for Negros Occidental and the Negrenses. And that while we have made notable progress, there is still much work to be done,” Lacson said.

In 2023, Negros Occidental launched the Provincial Integrated Water Security Plan (PIWSP) for 2023 to 2030 in cooperation with the USAID Safe Water project team.

The PIWSP aims to increase access to resilient water supply among water-stressed communities, improve water resource management to ensure sustainable supply and strengthen water sector governance.

“To our partners at USAID Safe Water, your expertise and support have been invaluable, and we look forward to continuing this partnership. Thank you for choosing Negros Occidental and the 3 million Negrenses to be the recipients of your water security framework,” Lacson said.

During the summit, the panel discussion tackled various topics, including the proposed PHP1.2-billion Negros Bulk Water Supply Project, nature-based solutions, and output-based Aid Blended Finance House Sanitation and Zero Open Defecation Program.

The 2024 Provincial Water Summit came after Lacson attended the 10th World Water Forum in Bali, Indonesia, last month, where he talked about the cascading of the Philippine Sector Master Plan through Provincial Integrated Water Security Planning.* (Nanette Guadalquiver)