Local Initiatives in Water Quality Management Programs in the Philippines:

Policy Issues and Challenges

GROUP MEMBERS:

Cuaño, Adrique

Solares, Fiel Ericson

Journal Article Review

Carlos M. Pascual, a professor in the Department of Agricultural Engineering,

Catherine P. Abadilla, an Associate Professor in the Department of Home Technology, both
from the College of Agriculture and Forestry, and Fairie Anne P. Acedebo, a Research
Assistant form the Collaborative Program on Food Processing and Product Development, all
from Mariano Marcos State University in Batac City, Ilocos Norte, conducted a study on
water quality management programs and intervention reforms for sustainability. Due to
population growth, water management needs to constantly comply with changing needs for
constant supply and access to drinkable water. Local governments, however, also lack the
capacity to ensure basic water facilities are provided efficiently and sustainably. Therefore,
local governments along with other institutions continued to monitor and improve the water
quality and conservation, as well as maintaining it for public use, ranging from domestic to
industrial uses. These programs aim to move from inconsistent to coordinated local water
policy and practice, to be facilitated at local government level through an efficient and
effective management scheme. The programs under water quality management were
classified into four areas: Rivers, Lakes, Public-Private Sectors’ Collaboration, and Pilot and
Demonstration of Water Actions.

The authors were able to collect data and information through papers, reports, and
laws related to the study, including but not limited to, the DENR Administrative Order 34
which they based for their assessment, the Asian Water Development Outlook 2007, and the
Clean Water act of 2004. Other data was collected through hands on programs and active
groups in different areas, such as but not limited to, collecting water sampling to determine
the quality of water and market based programs. Other forms of acquiring data such as
surveys and monitoring are also used. MMSU researchers conducted a GPS-guided survey
of approximately 250 food processors in Ilocos Norte to assess their food processing and
explore ways to improve their food packaging and food safety production, use of clean water
and increase their income

The findings were that many areas use similar programs and activities in maintaining
the quality of water. Although there are set-backs in terms of sustainability, programs such
as clean up drives created an advocacy for other areas and communities to take part in
water quality management. Through the efforts of the Philippine Water Watch, local farmers
were taught to understand and monitor water quality as well as addressing its problems.
Clean up drives and “Polluter Pay Principle” in Rivers/Lake WQM played an important role in
the decrease of annual biochemical oxygen demand from 5,402 to 193 in 7 years generated
by 222 firms. Collaboration between agencies has proved successful in changing the
business model to concentrate on an integrated, proactive environmental approach to
processes, goods, and facilities to increase efficiency and reduce risks to humans and the
environment. The city of Baguio in northern Luzon is home to 250,000 residents,
encountering uncounted water problems, caused by the development of small-scale water
supplies and communities along watershed areas and by the minerals affecting water
quality, now attempts in initiation of planning strategies and investments to handle the water
resources effectively in Baguio City.

The authors suggested that successful water quality management requires a strong
community-based initiative with diverse participation of stakeholders, a successful team
building and efficient and inclusive decision-making on best management practices, and that
the government must also undertake ambitious action plans to tackle the declining trend of
our water bodies' quality. Implementation of water quality management systems must also
improve the active involvement and participation of stakeholders. Lastly, the authors
emphasized that water is a valuable resource and everyone should have a role to play in
protecting and maintaining our water resources.