NEARING THIRST POINT: W. Visayas Nears Water Stress Despite Abundant Supply

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

Western Visayas currently enjoys water availability levels above the global water stress threshold but is nearing a critical point, according to Emil Diez, president of the Iloilo Business Club Inc.

Diez said the region has approximately 2,036 cubic meters of water per person per year, exceeding the global threshold of 1,700 cubic meters.

Water stress occurs when demand exceeds supply or when water quality deteriorates to the point that it limits use.

Despite this buffer, Diez warned that the Philippines as a whole has been under water stress since 2007, with national water availability dropping to 1,373 cubic meters per person.

He also flagged a serious issue in water distribution, noting that nearly 46% of the country’s water districts lose more than 30% of their supply due to outdated infrastructure, leaks, and system inefficiencies.

This far exceeds the global standard of 20% for non-revenue water.

He said this translates to almost half a billion cubic meters of lost water annually, equivalent to about half the capacity of Angat Dam.

“These aren’t just statistics—they’re signals,” Diez said.

“If we don’t act now, everyday access to clean, safe water—for households, farms, and industries—will grow even more uncertain. And when water is uncertain, everything else becomes unstable.”

Department of Environment and Natural Resources Region 6 Assistant Regional Director Edgardo Rostata said Western Visayas ranks third nationwide in water resource potential.

He said the region benefits from three major river basins: Panay, Jalaur, and Ilog-Hilabangan, which together offer millions of cubic meters in surface and groundwater resources.

However, Rostata warned that these resources are under threat due to watershed degradation, unregulated water extraction, and the lack of cohesive regulatory policies.

He also noted that only 64 water districts currently operate across the region, leading to fragmented service delivery.

To address these issues, Rostata emphasized the importance of watershed management, reforestation, and investment in localized infrastructure and alternative water sources, especially in vulnerable areas.

Carlos Bernardo Abad Santos, undersecretary of the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development, highlighted that Western Visayas holds 10% of the nation’s freshwater resource potential.

Despite this abundance, he said poor resource management has led to inequality and worsened the effects of climate change.

He cited overlapping agency mandates, inadequate data, limited technical expertise, and funding constraints as persistent challenges.

“These challenges point to the need to immediately operationalize the Integrated Water Resource Management Framework (IWRMF),” Abad Santos said.

“IWRMF compels us to look at the broader picture of how water connects everything.”

He stressed that the effective allocation, utilization, and governance of water resources is essential to achieving regional goals of a reliable and continuous water supply for domestic, irrigation, and hydropower needs.

Abad Santos added that the national government is pushing for institutional reforms, including the creation of a Department of Water Resources and a Water Regulatory Commission to improve governance and encourage public-private partnerships.