THE GOVERNMENT has stepped up efforts to convert the country’s dependence on water supply from underground water to surface water, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said Monday.

The President made the comment in an interview with former Social Welfare Secretary Erwin Tulfo, stressing the need for different government agencies to make the necessary preparations to address the looming dry spell or El Niño phenomenon.

“Kasi tubig ang pinag-uusapan, marami talagang elemento na kailangan isama diyan sa usapan na ‘yan. But we are slowly converting our dependence of water supply from underground water to surface water.

‘Yun ang pinaka-basic diyan and then the distribution systems,” Marcos told Tulfo’s radio program in the government-owned Radyo Pilipinas.

“‘Yung ating mga…kung pupuntahan mo ‘yung mga distribution system natin sa mga water authority, kung titingnan mo ‘yung mga ano, noong giyera pa nilagay ‘yung ano… noong panahon pa ng giyera eh noong nilagay ‘yung mga tubo-tubo eh,” the President pointed out.

President Marcos, who recently signed an executive order creating a Water Management Office (WMO), said the government platform will help deal with the country’s water crisis.

“Kasi alam naman natin pag walang tubig, walang buhay. Ganun lang kasimple ‘yan. So… ganun ang approach namin na kailangan na magkaroon ng sapat na supply ng malinis, ligtas na tubig na kahit pag masyadong mahina ang ulan o nagka-El Niño, masyadong mainit ay magkakaroon tayo ng… mayroon pa rin tayong water supply,” the President explained.

“Ngayon, kung talagang hanggang ngayon ay wala pa, kulang pa, ang gagawin natin siyempre pag-aaralan natin kung saan talaga ang priority. Saan ang uunahin? ‘Yung mga city ba, ‘yung mga agrikultura ba? And again, bawat lugar ay iba. Iba siyempre, ‘yung mga urban communities, ‘yung mga siyudad. ‘Yung freshwater, ‘yung drinking water,” the President said.

The President said the government has ramped up its alert and warning systems to provide  El Niño forecasts and impacts.

“Kaya’t, ‘yun isa pa ‘yan, pinapatibay natin ang kakayahan ng DOST (Department of Science and Technology), ng PAGASA (Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration) para ma-warningan naman talaga tayo nang mabuti  na may parating na ganito,” the President said.

In a previous sectoral briefing, President Marcos tasked agencies tocome up with a whole-of-government strategy to address the El Niño phenomenon that may hit the country this year until early next year.

Two specific instructions given by the President are the adoption of a whole-of-government or whole-of-nation approach and putting up protocol-based and scientific long-term processes that could be adopted by the country. (BISHOP JESUS “JEMBA” BASCO)