The Philippine Portal for the Water Supply and Sanitation Sector informs national and local government leaders, civil society, business sector, donor community and the public about the water supply and sanitation (WATSAN) situation in the Philippines, and empowers them to use that information to collaborate and advance the well being of men and women of this generation and the next.

More than just a repository of data and information, it is also a dynamic tool for monitoring the country’s progress vis-à-vis the 2004-2010 Medium Term Philippine Development Plan (MTPDP) and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) currently being pursued under the Philippine Water Supply Sector Roadmap (PWSS Roadmap).

Specifically, the portal aids in effective planning and policy decision-making through the sharing of knowledge and best practices relevant to the implementation of water and sanitation projects. Currently, the portal carries reliable and easily accessible information about programs and projects, existing policies, research/publications, statistics, among others, relevant to the WATSAN sector. Efforts are underway in incorporating data on investments in the sector, possible mapping of water service providers, and sector analysis/assessment as support to the implementation of the Philippine Water Supply Sector Roadmap.

The portal started out as a project initiated by the National Water Resources Board (NWRB) in early 2006, in collaboration with other government agencies, with support from the German Technical Cooperation Agency (GTZ) – Water and Sanitation Program. By 2007, it was institutionalized as a Government program now being pursued by 10 collaborating agencies serving as the Technical Working Group (TWG) for the portal:

1. National Water Resources Board (NWRB)
2. Department of Interior and Local Government –Water Supply And Sanitation Project Management Office (DILG-WSSPMO)
3. Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA)
4. Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)
5. National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA)
6. National Anti-Poverty Commission – Water Supply and Sanitation Coordinating Office (NAPC-WASCO)
7. Department of Agriculture – Bureau of Soils and Water Management (DA-BSWM)
8. Department of Health (DOH)
9. Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS)
10. Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)

As active contributors in knowledge sharing, local government units will soon be an important addition to the growing list of collaborators for the portal.

The current membership of the TWG speaks well of the cross-cutting nature of the WATSAN sector, one that calls for a multi-sectoral and participative approach. Truly, water supply and sanitation is not just a concern of one or a few, but a concern of all.