Platform for Collective Engagement
Water Alliance

On the brink of water insecurity, the Philippines is anticipated to have severe water shortage in major river basins by 2025. About 16 million Filipinos still suffer from lack of access to safe drinking water while fresh water resource continues to decline due to climate change, pollution, and greater demand. This situation seriously impacts on people’s health, children’s education and safety, and the homemaker’s time which could have been invested for household or livelihood activities.

Confident in the strength of its membership, PBSP launched the Water Alliance in August 2015, the Alliance is a partnership of businesses led by their CEOs with strong commitment to create solutions to water problems in the Philippines. Since its launch, the Water Alliance has grown and engaged other sectors to contribute in solving water security challenges. Today, the Alliance has evolved into a multisectoral consortium that includes private sector and business networks, academe and research institutions, and social development organizations.

The Water Alliance continues to fulfill its commitment to convene the different sectors to spread the awareness on water security challenges, and to identify and implement company wide and collective measures that each institution and individual can do to help address the problem. An action agenda was crafted to complement the government’s development plans and efforts. Through the leadership of Mr. Francis Giles Puno, Water Alliance Chairman and First Philippine Holdings President and CEO, the alliance aims to accomplish the following five-year targets (2016-2021):

1. Provide safe drinking water to 190 waterless communities;
2. Encourage 140 companies to adopt measures to lower water footprint and treat wastewater;
3. Participate in policy development and advocacy, specifically support the creation of a single regulatory body with agenda on water security; and
4. Develop area-based solutions through research and assessment.

Through social investments and core business approaches, the Alliance accomplished the following as of 2018:

• Provided 39 communities including schools with potable water systems worth PhP81,000,000 through funding support from the members.
• Campaigned for the advocacy of water footprint management and reduction, and conducted two water demand management training participated by 21 companies and academic institutions. The participants are on their way to crafting their organization’s water footprint reduction program.
• Contributed in the discussions and consultations for the ongoing Philippine Water Supply and Sanitation Master Plan.
• Prepared a compendium of existing research and studies by Ateneo De Manila University, De La Salle University, and University of the Philippines Diliman in the communities of Pandi in Bulacan, Mulanay in Quezon, and San Isidro in Leyte to improve their water access.
• Developed a database of waterrelated studies and regional development plans. This compilation serves as a storage of knowledge which can aid the Water Alliance and other users in crafting solutions.
• 153 hectares of forest and mangrove covers were rehabilitated in Upper Marikina Watershed, Buhisan Watershed, and mangrove areas in San Remigio, Cebu.
• Held last September 13, 2018, the Water Forum is an annual activity that serves as a platform to educate, present solutions, and rally the various stakeholders. This forum was co-organized with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and was attended by more than 200 individuals from the private sector, academe, government, and NGOs.

The challenges on water security may be overwhelming but with all stakeholders onboard and contributing their efforts, we can and will overcome the problem.