Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Angelo T. Reyes, who was recently designated as the country's water czar, and Finance Undersecretary Jeremias N. Paul, Jr. will keynote the annual national consultative forum between the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) and the country's numerous water districts Thursday, June 21, 2007 at the Manila Hotel wherein alternatives and options for developing and funding water supply projects in the provincial areas in the next several years will be the main agenda.

Secretary Reyes is expected to detail his plans as water czar for the sustainable exploitation and development of the country's natural water sources, particularly the vital life-supporting river basins, to avert the projected water crisis on account of the climate change and the pressure exerted on water sources by growing domestic and industrial/ commercial demands. On the other hand, Undersecretary Paul is expected to present The Department of Finance(DOF) plans to assist LWUA and the water districts access to both local and foreign funds for projects.

With the theme, "Financing and Sustaining the Water Supply and Sanitation Sector in the Countryside," the forum will have LWUA Administrator Orlando C. Hondrade addressing water district officials for the first time since assuming the LWUA top post earlier this year. Hondrade will also lead together with LWUA Board of Trustees Chairman Proceso Domingo, Philippine Association of Water Districts (PAWD) Board of Governors Chairman Arturo DG Villasan and PAWD President Romeo Calara the LWUA and water district delegations to the annual consultative forum.

Hondrade said that the recourse to alternative sources and modes of funding water projects in the countryside has assumed greater urgency in view of the Arroyo administration's resolve to dramatically increase people's access to safe potable water supply notwithstanding the government's limited resources.

With the inability of the last Congress to act expeditiously on its request for the increase in its authorized capitalization and local as well as foreign borrowing capacities, the LWUA has set its focus on tapping new sources of funds to sustain the development of provincial water supply in keeping with the government's goal of providing safe potable water to all barangays by 2010.

Hondrade said that the agency will be presenting to the water districts its plans and strategies for raising an estimated P6.6 billion needed to finance and support the implementation of some 250 water supply development and modernization projects targeting as many provincial areas particularly the so-called still "waterless communities" between 2007-2010.

The forum's technical session will have authorities from various banks and aid agencies both here and abroad sharing their expertise and presenting options and alternatives for the development and financing of water supply projects in the Philippine countryside in pursuit of the Arroyo administration's legacy program on water supply.

Cesar Yniguez, consultant for the United States Agency for International Development -Environment Cooperation-Asia (USAID-ECOASIA) will discuss " Developing Alternative Lending Strategies and Products for LWUA and the Water Districts", Land Bank of the Philippines senior vice president Simeona S. Guevarra will present " LBP Lending Schemes for Water Districts" and Kenji Kasamatsu, project director of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)-LWUA Small Water Districts Improvement Project (SWDIP) will talk on "Modeling for Growth for Small Water service Providers."

Meanwhile, Lydia Orial, president/CEO of the LGU Guarantee Corporation (LGUGC) will present "LGUGC Guarantee Programs"; Asian Development Bank (ADB) senior specialist Rudolf Frauendoffer will delve on "ADB Initiatives in the Water and Sanitation Sector" and Government Corporate Counsel Alberto C. Agra will discourse on " Private Sector Participation in Water Supply Development".

Capping the forum will be the traditional awards night where the most outstanding water district award and other citations will be given to best performing water districts in the country.
c June 20 , 2007