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Lounge / Re: Unsolicited advice to fellow Filipinos facing the “El Niño” phenomenon
« on: March 29, 2010, 11:09:31 AM »
I got a copy of this recent press release about rainwater harvesters from Rep. Emmylou "Lala" Taliño-Mendoza of the first district of Cotabato. Are these rainwater harvesters anything like the gigantic rainwater collectors you are proposing? I’d be interested to know.
So yeah, the government has already thought of it. No implementation, though.
Quote
March 28, 2010
Enforce old law on rainwater harvesters, says solon
Amid the lingering dry spell that has already ruined some P8 billion worth of farm harvests and put upward pressure on food commodity prices, Cotabato Rep. Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza has sought an inquiry into performance of a 20-year-old law requiring the construction of rainwater collectors in all barangays.
"We have a 1989 law mandating the installation of rainwater receptacles in all barangays, with the Department of Public Works and Highways as implementing agency," Taliño-Mendoza, the administration candidate for Cotabato governor, pointed out.
"We should ascertain as to what extent the law has been properly carried out, and whether there is a need for incremental funding to enable the construction of additional rainwater harvesters," Taliño-Mendoza said.
Taliño-Mendoza was referring to Republic Act 6716, which provides for the construction of water wells and rainwater collectors, the development of springs and rehabilitation of existing water wells in all barangays.
Section 2 of the law states: "The Department of Public Works and Highways shall, within 30 days after the approval of this Act, undertake construction of water wells, rainwater collectors, development of springs and rehabilitation of existing water wells in all barangays in the Philippines in such number as may be needed and feasible, taking into consideration the population, hydrologic conditions, costs of project development and operations, financial and economic factors and institutional arrangements."
As of March 2, the verified damage to crops and fisheries due to the El Niño phenomenon has so far reached P8 billion, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA).
While the Philippines is now at the tail end of the dry spell and parts of the country have been experiencing some rainfall lately, the DA warned that total crop damage could still hit as high as P20 billion by June.
Taliño-Mendoza has been pushing for the aggressive installation of rainwater harvesters as one of the strategies for communities to put to good use heavy rainfall half of the year and cope with drought in the other half.
On Sunday, she cited the need for local governments to compel shopping malls, office buildings and factories as well as schools, residential subdivisions and farming villages to put up additional "safe and sound" rainwater collectors.
The construction of rainwater harvesters should also form part of a new ‘green’ Building Code that is friendlier to the environment and more responsive to severe climate changes, Taliño-Mendoza said.
Noting that the best water collectors are trees, she also said the multiplication of rainwater reservoirs should be complimented by lively tree-growing activities at the community level.
So yeah, the government has already thought of it. No implementation, though.
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