The Department of
Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and SM Prime Holdings, Inc. (SM
Prime), one of the leading real estate developers in Southeast Asia, recently
called on local public officials to avoid the extraction of groundwater and,
instead, invest in rainwater collection for recycling and impoundment, as well
as explore new technologies such as modular desalination and modular sewage
treatment plants, to manage the effects of climate change on the country’s
water resources.
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At the
multi-stakeholder forum, “Towards a Greener Footprint”, in Iloilo City
recently, Environment
Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga shared solutions-focused guidelines
to help the local government reduce carbon footprint, with emphasis on water
conservation to address the looming water crisis and increase access to safe
water and sanitation. From left to right: Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Trenas,
journalist Ces Drilon, Secretary Loyzaga, urban planning and landscape
architect Paulo Alcazaren, United Architects of the Philippines (UAP) co-chair
Michaela Rossette Santo-Tayag and SM Supermalls Vice President for Corporate
Compliance Liza Silerio. Photo credits to Arnold Almacen/Iloilo City Office of
the Mayor.
At the
multi-stakeholder forum, “Towards a Greener Footprint”, in Iloilo City
recently, Environment
Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga shared solutions-focused guidelines
to help the local government reduce carbon footprint, with emphasis on water
conservation to address the looming water crisis and increase access to safe
water and sanitation.
“We need to
invest in the appropriate engineering and infrastructure to deliver water from
the source,” Secretary Loyzaga said. “We must avoid, if not reduce drastically,
the extraction of groundwater which in low-lying coastal areas causes
subsidence and increases flooding.”
“Rainwater catchments will not only provide
additional supply for household use but will also help ensure the availability
of surface water through the maintenance of watershed cover when impounded,”
Secretary Loyzaga said.
Based on the latest report of the Philippine Statistics
Authority, water abstracted
for own use increased from 215.2 billion cubic meters (bcm) in 2020 to 217.8
bcm in 2021
countrywide. From 2010 to 2021, the largest amount of self-abstracted water is for the power sector
(58.7%). This was
followed by agriculture (33.5%); mining and quarrying, manufacturing, and construction
(5.3%); and services
sector and households (2.6%).
Earlier this
month, the
DENR said the country still has enough water supply, but proper management is
needed to prevent a possible water crisis by the end of the year.
The call was met
with a resounding response from the private sector, particularly, SM
Prime. In the same forum, SM Supermalls
Vice President for Corporate Compliance Engr. Liza B. Silerio shared how SM Prime has stepped up the sustainability
programs that it has been doing since SM Supermalls started recycling water in
the 1990s.
From rainwater
catchment to help deter flooding in communities where its malls are located, SM
Prime also pioneered the mall-based rainwater filtration system that converts
the collected rainwater to be potable enough for washing, cleaning and even
drinking. Launched at SM City Baguio, the facility will supply mall
tenants with enough potable water to help reduce sourcing from the communities’
water table.
“As an
integrated property developer, we have seen the first-hand effects of natural
hazards that are caused by the change in weather patterns in the Philippines,”
Engr. Silerio explained. “El Nino and La Nina are two phenomena resulting from
climate change. Our country ranks number one in the World Risk Index 2022
report as the most vulnerable among 193 nations.”
Faced with this challenge, Engr. Silerio shared
that SM Prime will continue to find innovative ways to address the climate
challenges. “We continue to evolve and adapt technology to improve our resource
consumption as part of our climate action,” she concluded.
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