Sotto: Desalination plants to address water woes
The problem on water shortage currently experienced in many parts of the country due to El Niño phenomenon could have been avoided if the government had utilized the seawater surrounding the country’s many islands.
This was the idea shared by senatorial candidate Vicente “Tito” Sotto III amid reports of drought and water shortage resulting from the long dry spell.
Sotto, who has served as senator for two terms from 1992 to 2004, said the government should invest in putting up desalination plants that would convert seawater into fresh water.
“The Philippines has a long shoreline, we are surrounded by seawater, we should utilize it so that we will never run out of water,” Sotto said, adding “by making use of seawater we can preserve our lakes, rivers and other inland water sources.”
Sotto said the process of converting seawater into potable water is practiced in Middle East countries and even in Singapore.
“We can also do it here in our country. Instead of spending lots of money in graft and corruption and other useless projects, the government should give priority to the desalination project which could benefit the general public,” Sotto added.
“In using seawater as another source of potable water we can avoid water shortage problems in times when we experience long dry spell,” Sotto stressed.
Desalination refers to any of several processes that remove excess salt and other minerals from water.
Most of the modern interest in desalination is focused on developing cost-effective ways of providing fresh water for human use in regions where the availability of fresh water is limited.
Sotto, a former chairman of Dangerous Drugs Board, is an independent candidate for senator in the May 10 election.
Among the legislations he passed when he served as senator for two terms are: Creation of Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), Republic Act No. 9165 Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002; Creation of Family Courts through Republic Act No. 8369; Absentee Voting Law (Republic Act No. 9189 Overseas Absentee Voting Law); Teachers and Students Government Assistance (Republic Act No. 8545 Expanded Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education Act); Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (Republic Act No. 8550 Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998); and Use of Calamity Funds (Republic Act No. 8185 Amending Section 324(d) of the Local Government Code of 1991).
