(RTVM screengrab/Janna Pineda/PIA-NCR)

MANILA, (PIA) -- President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday, March 23, called for a united front between the private and public sectors in ensuring water security for the Philippines.

“I know that you are all experienced and are all committed to making, giving our people the water supply, fresh water supply that they need, and we’ll work together on that,” Pres. Marcos said to keynote the 6th Water Philippines Conference and Exposition at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City.

“It will not be the work of a day or of a week, but we will start now and we will continue until it’s done,” the President added.

The Chief Executive also warned that there is currently a water crisis in the country, however, he was quick to point out that the government has implemented some key interventions in addressing it.

“And so these are the kinds of stratagems that we have to employ, that we have to bring down to the grassroots level because [of] the water crisis in the Philippines – and I call it a water crisis because it is,” he said.

Pres. Marcos said the Office of Water Management he created will help craft a more cohesive policy in the national level to address the country's water crisis.

“And that’s why, we in the government – I just signed an executive order wherein we have created the Office of Water Management. We have created the Office of Water Management, and [with] the Office of Water Management, there are bills now in the legislature to create the Department of Water Management,” he added. 

He, meanwhile lauded the organizers and event participants for their valuable help in managing the country’s water supply and addressing environmental issues involving water.

“This assembly is a necessary and urgent step towards achieving our collective aim of attaining water security and providing safe, adequate, affordable, and accessible drinking water for the Filipino people,” he said. (PIA-NCR)