The government should pour more resources into water management, sanitation and sewerage systems in order to meet the challenge of delivering basic public services and economic development, Sen. Edgardo Angara Monday said.

Angara, chairman of the Senate committee on finance, said more investments in these areas are needed to ensure the sustainability of the environment and at the same time promote health and wellness of the people.

He said access to clean water is getting critical because it is becoming more scarce and expensive.

“Climate change, urbanization and the need to feed a growing population have put a strain on our finite water resources, and there is an urgent need to address the dangers they pose to the health of our people and the sustainability of our environment,” Angara said.

“More often than not, water sanitation and sewerage system in the country is overlooked and neglected. We need to pour more resources into it,” he said.

Angara said the acute seasonal problem of lack of access to potable water poses large economic costs as well as profound impact on the quality of life.

“Poor water quality affects our citizens’ health, lost agricultural production, threatens food security, and a host of other damaging consequences,” he said.

Citing the statistics given by World Bank, Angara said 13 million Filipinos rely on creek water and deep wells as they have no access to clean water while another 25 million do not have clean toilet facilities.

This problem translates into health issues, such as rampant cases of diarrhea, gastroenteritis, typhoid fever, cholera and other health hazards caused by using dirty water.

Around 31 percent of illnesses in the Philippines are water-borne. Poor Filipino families are largely affected by such health problems since they cannot afford clean water, Angara said.

There is also an increasing number of indigents affected by diseases caused by water pollution and poor sanitation, Angara said.