Amid reported cases of cholera in some regions of the country, the House of Representatives has vowed to increase funding for water and sanitation facilities.
House Committee on Ways and Means Chairman Joey Sarte Salceda said that the lower chamber is committed to increasing access to clean water and sanitation facilities through more water systems projects.
âWe are committed to increasing funds for water and sanitation facilities. Right now, the 2023 budget has about P5.28 billion dedicated to water systems under the DPWH budget. We will do more,â Salceda said.
On Sunday, Sen. Jinggoy Estrada pressed, through Senate Resolution 266, for a Senate inquiry into increasing reports of cholera outbreaks in various regions of the country, and cited Department of Health (DOH) data of a 282-percent rise in cases since January this year.
Salceda said the Department of Budget and Management is now considering the recommendations of members of Congress in funding programs from the Allocations to Local Government Units or ALGUs item.
âThatâs P63 billion this year, and we will recommend that more water systems be funded,â the Albay lawmaker added.
Citing data from the DOH, Salceda said from 976 cholera cases were recorded in January to October last year, to 3,729 during the same period in 2022, saying most of the cases were from Eastern Visayas, Davao region and Caraga.
Likewise, Central Luzon, Western Visayas and Eastern Visayas have surpassed the epidemic threshold levels for cholera over the same period.
âCholera cases are at an upsurge globally, in part due to floods caused by a changing climate. So, we are no exception. But cholera is totally avoidableâlargely with clean water and proper sewage systems. We are committed to funding more of that during the budget process,â Salceda said.
Disaster funds
Salceda said that water supply systems could also be funded with National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Funds (NDRRMF).
âThere is an empirical link between flooding and cholera cases. The water supply can get adulterated by flooding,â he said.
âWater supply also tends to be quite difficult in disaster-affected areas. Certainly, access to clean water is also a disaster management measure, especially in evacuation centers,â he added.
With this, Salceda argued that a large chunk of the P31-billion NDRRMF in the 2023 budget should be spend for water systems in evacuation centers and relocation sites.
âThese systems can also be used year-round by the communities around them,â he said.
âWe will target having P20 billion spent for water systems from the national governmentâs share of the 2023 budget. From the DPWH [Department of Public Works and Highways], ALGUs, NDRRMF, and other allocations. That includes possibly increasing the P5.28 billion allocation in the DPWH for water systems. This is an unfolding national crisis, and the budget needs to be responsive,â Salceda said.
The lawmaker also said the House Committee on Ways and Means will also work with the Committee on Appropriations to see whether âmeasures passed under my leadership of the committee can help fund more water facilities.â
âAmong the items Iâm looking at is the 20 percent earmarked revenue for sustainable development goals from the POGO (Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations) Tax Law, and the same item from the alcohol excise tax law and from vape taxes. Clean water and sanitation, after all, is goal number 6 of the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals),â he added.