The Philippines' contemporary water supply system dates back to 1946, after the country declared independence. Government agencies, local institutions, non-government organizations, and other corporations are primarily in charge of the operation and administration of water supply and sanitation in the country.
Sources of water The Philippines' main sources of water are rivers, lakes, river basins, and groundwater reservoirs. The longest and largest river, Cagayan River, discharges approximately 53,943 million cubic meters of water annually. Its groundwater reserves are 47,895 million cubic meters replenished by rainfall and seepage from rivers and lakes. The lakes are utilized mainly for fish cultivation. The four major groundwater reservoirs are in Cagayan, Central Luzon, Agusan, and Cotabato. There are 438 major dams and 423 smaller dams. Dams and reservoirs are mainly used for water storage, water supply, irrigation, regulation of flood, and hydropower.
The water in the metropolitan area of Manila is mostly supplied by the Angat Dam, Ipo Dam, and La Mesa Dam (also known as Angat-Ipo-La Mesa water system). Well-known and larger dams in the rural areas include Ambuklao Dam (developed for flood control, irrigation, and hydroelectric power source of Baguio and some regions in Luzon) and Magat Dam (irrigation and hydroelectric power source in Isabela). The Philippines is working hard to ensure everyone has fair access to clean water.
Usage
28.52 billion m3 of water were withdrawn from various sources in the Philippines in 2000: 74% (21.10 billion m3) was used for agricultural purposes, 9% (2.57 billion m3) for industrial processes, and 17% (4.85 billion m3) for domestic consumption., p. 5
Agricultural Agricultural water management in the Philippines is primarily focused on irrigation. The country has 3.126 million hectares of irrigable land, 50% (1.567 million hectares) of which already has irrigation facilities. 50% of irrigated areas are developed and operated by the government through the National Irrigation System (NIS). 36% is developed by the government and operated by irrigators' associations through the Communal Irrigation System, while the remaining 14% is developed and operated by an individual or small groups of farmers through a Private Irrigation System (PIS).
Industrial The uses of water for industrial purposes include the "utilization of water in factories, industrial plants and mines, and the use of water as an ingredient of a finished product."Greenpeace Southeast Asia. The state of water resources in the Philippines. Quezon City: Greenpeace, 2007. http://www.greenpeace.org/seasia/ph/Global/seasia/report/2007/10/the-state-of-water-in-the-phil.pdf (accessed October 3, 2015). Water-intensive industries are involved in the manufacturing of food and dairy, pulp and chemical products, as well as textile materials. These industries are usually found in the National Capital Region, Calabarzon, and Region III. In a 1999 study by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the intensive use of water in the industry is critical in terms of the production of hazardous wastes. Thousands of tons of solvent wastes, heavy metals, lubricants, and intractable wastes are improperly disposed of annually in Metro Manila.Luken, Ralph A. Industrial Policy and the Environment in the Philippines. Vienna: United Nations Industrial Development Organization, 1999. http://www.unido.org/fileadmin/import/userfiles/timminsk/rio10-ind-philippines-eng.pdf (accessed October 29, 2015).
Domestic According to a 1996 study by David and Inocencio, the medium of water provision is dependent on the income class of a certain household. Higher-income brackets usually rely on private waterworks as a source of water, while lower-income brackets usually consume less by depending on vended water (sold by those with access to private waterworks). Lower-income households pay much higher water prices than higher-income households due to lack of access to water service providers.David, Cristina C. and Arlene B. Inocencio. "Understanding Household Demand and Supply of Water." Paper presented at the Pulong-Saliksikan sa PIDS on Water Policies, September 24, 1996. http://dirp4.pids.gov.ph/ris/pdf/pidspn9604.pdf (accessed October 3, 2015).
Service provision In 2000, the average water production was 175 liters per day per capita (L/d/c).The Philippines had 75,766,140 inhabitants in 2000; source: http://devdata.worldbank.org/query/ According to the National Water Resources Board (NWRB), the average consumption of water was 118 L/d/c in 2004. The highest consumption was recorded in the East Zone of Metro Manila as 232 L/d/c., p. 12; 36
Levels of water systems According to a 2005 World Bank study, approximately 5,000 service providers exist in the Philippines., p. 110 Most of them only provide water, since sanitation is expected to be a private responsibility., p. 116 The water infrastructure provided is classified into three levels: +Levels of water systems in the Philippines, p. 4Level IStand-alone water points (e.g. handpumps, shallow wells, rainwater collectors) serving an average of 15 households within a 250-meter distanceLevel IIPiped water with a communal water point (e.g. borewell, spring system) serving an average of 4–6 households within a 25-meter distanceLevel IIIPiped water supply with a private water point (e.g. house connection) based on daily water demand of more than 100 liters per person
Service providers According to the Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply and Sanitation of UNICEF and WHO, access to an improved water source increased from 85% in 1990 to 92% in 2010., p. 116
Local government units Most households in the Philippines are provided water by their Local Government Units (LGUs), either directly through a city or municipal engineering department or through community-based organizations (CBOs). CBOs involved in water supply include 200 cooperatives, 3,100 Barangay Water and Sanitation Associations (BWSAs) and 500 Rural Water Supply Associations (RWSAs). CBOs usually operate Level I or Level II water supply systems with support from the national government or non-governmental organizations (NGOs). In many cases, the CBOs later convert Level I and II facilities into Level III supply systems. Typically, all LGU-operated arrangements do not recover their full costs and rely heavily on local government subsidies., p. 112–113
Water districts
A water district is an entity that is legally and financially separate from the municipality. In urban areas outside of Metro Manila, water districts served around 15.3 million people from 861 municipalities in 2011. To form a water district, the local government needs confirmation from the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA), a specialized lending institution for provincial waterworks, from which it will receive technical assistance and financial support. The local government appoints the board members of the water districts. This system typically has better performance and higher cost recovery than water systems that are run directly by municipalities. The Philippine Association of Water Districts (PAWD), fosters the exchange of experiences between water districts and provides training to its members. In 2010, USAID and the ADB agreed to support PAWD in establishing a national Water Operators Partnerships (WOPs) program that promotes twinning partnerships among Water Districts.
Large-scale private operators In Metro Manila, water service has been carried out by two private concessionaires since 1997: The Manila Water Company in the East Zone, and Maynilad Water Services, Inc. in the West Zone. Although national government has supported private service providers since the 1990s, there are few arrangements outside of Metro Manila. Joint ventures exist in Tagbilaran City and in Subic Bay., p. 113 These private water service providers provide Level III services together with water districts.
Small-scale independent providers A significant share of the population in urban areas receive services from small-scale independent providers. It was estimated that before privatization in the late 1990s, 30% of the population of Metro Manila depended on them, majority buying water in bulk from water providers to sell it on to individual users., p. 1 There are also some cases of cooperation by concessionaires and independent providers., p. 114, 116 In August 2007, 250 small-scale providers formed the National Water and Sanitation Association of the Philippines (NAWASA) as a gathering avenue for small-scale water service providers.IRC:Small-scale providers: success story highlights the need for cheap and accessible financing, Philippines, July 4, 2008, quoting Asian Development Bank: Water Champion:Elsa Mejia Small Private Providers at the Water Front, June 2008 Benchmarking of water utility modelsNational Economic and Development Authority. Philippine Water Sector Supply Roadmap. Pasig City: National Economic and Development Authority, 2010. p. 8.Local Government Units (LGU)Water DistrictsPrivate OperatorsLevel of ServiceLevel I, II, and IIILevel IIILevel IIIAvailability (hours per day)192322Consumption (liters per capita per day)112120144Staff (per 100 connections)876Tariff (Philippine peso per cubic meter)7.6017.8215.37Economic RegulationNational Water and Resources Board (NWRB)National Water and Resources Board (NWRB)According to contractFinancingPublic, NGOs, TariffsLocal Waterworks and Utilities Administration (LWUA), TariffsTariffs
Access Water supply Access to water is universal, affordable, efficient and of high quality. The creation of financially sustainable water service providers ("water districts") in small and medium towns with the continuous long-term support of a national agency (the "Local Water Utilities Administration" LWUA); and the improvement of access, service quality and efficiency in Manila through two high-profile water concessions awarded in 1997. The challenges include limited access to sanitation services, high pollution of water resources, often poor drinking water quality and poor service quality, a fragmentation of executive functions at the national level among numerous agencies, and a fragmentation of service provision at the local level into many small service providers.
In 2015, 92% of the total population had access to "at least basic water", or 94% in urban areas and 90% in rural areas. In 2015, there were still 8 million people without access to "at least basic water". The term "at least basic water" is a new term since 2016, and is related to the previously used "improved water source".
In earlier years, according to the Joint Monitoring Program (JMP) report in March 2012, 43% of the Philippines had access to Level III private water service providers in 2010. Access to an improved water source increased from 84% in 1990 to 92% in 2012. However, there is a wide inconsistency between the access to water of urban areas (61%) and rural areas (25%). Although overall spending remained low, the national government has begun increasing investments in sectors outside Metro Manila.Asian Development Bank. Philippines: Water Supply and Sanitation Sector Assessment, Strategy, and Road Map. Mandaluyong City: Asian Development Bank, 2013. http://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/institutional-document/33810/files/philippines-water-supply-sector-assessment.pdf (October 3, 2015). In 2015, it was reported by the Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation that 74% of the population had access to improved sanitation, and that "good progress" had been made between 1990 and 2015.
Sewage and Sanitation