CEBU local government units (LGUs) are joining hands to provide solutions and express their commitment to water security and water equality during the Water Summit 2025 at Bai Hotel in Mandaue City on Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025.
The summit was conducted in hopes to institutionalize the Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) framework that promotes a participatory approach coordinating the management of water, land and related resources to enhance economic efficiency, social equity, and ecosystem sustainability.
The IWRM emphasizes a systems-based approach that considers the entire watershed. It seeks to balance competing demands to ensure efficient and equitable water use while safeguarding access to vital resources for future generations.
The initiative aims to enhance data sharing and research collaboration among various LGUs while advocating for the establishment of a Department of Water to oversee policies and address fragmented governance in the water sector.
Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival voiced his fears over water scarcity and urged citizens to identify and address the issues related to water distribution. He said a daily water loss of 150 meters results in financial losses of P6.5 million a day.
He shared Cebu City’s initiatives, such as the installation of raincatchment systems in the city’s 80 barangays and the promotion of “simple yet impactful” water conservation practices that can yield significant collective benefits.
For Mandaue City Mayor Thadeo Jovito Ouano, there is an urgent need for collective action to address declining groundwater supply and polluted rivers, highlighting the fragility of Metro Cebu’s water sources.
Meanwhile, Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Cynthia King Chan said the city relies on a secure water supply, as Mactan Island faces threats of saltwater intrusion and drought-related water depletion.
Chan mentioned her administration’s move to rehabilitate coastal ecosystems and improve water drainage and harvesting systems, saying their primary goal is to ensure Oponganons have access to safe, reliable, and sustainable water resources.
For Talisay City Mayor Gerald Anthony Gullas Jr., water does not recognize political boundaries. He said meaningful progress occurs when different local government units collaborate on solutions.
The Water Summit was led by the Philippine Institute of Chemical Engineers Cebu Chapter, Inc. and USC Water Foundation, Inc. with the support of the Department of Science and Technology Region-7.
Various local government units, academic institutions, private businesses, and government agencies attended the summit. / Bryce Ken Abellon, USJ-R intern