David on a countdown to crisis.
PHOTO BY BONG LACSON
CLARK FREEPORT – “The water crisis is going to be a big issue in Pampanga in the next decade.”
Thus, said the outspoken parish priest of Holy Rosary in Angeles City, Bishop Pablo Virgilio “Ambo” David, a foremost environmentalist during the “Balitaan” forum of the Capampangan in Media, Inc. (CAMI) at the Bale Balita here last Friday.
David made the remark in reaction to a question posed by the media on the flourishing of water theme parks and golf courses here after a P2.5-billion water park broke ground on October 5 at the Gate 14 area located at the northwestern section of this freeport in Sitio Haduan, Marcos Village, Mabalacat City.
The Clark Freeport area, since its time as an American airbase has been declared as a “watershed area” and “primary source of water” for the cities of Angeles and Mabalacat.
“Mamilang kamung pilang banwa keni talagang ala tanang akwang danum (Just count a few years here and we really cannot get water) and this is going to be a serious crisis for Pampanga unlike other provinces which have lakes,” the bishop said.
David said environmentalists in Canada, where he went on a recent visit, are also protesting against the proliferation of golf courses and water theme parks like this one (referring to the Clark Valley View Leisure and Resort of the BB International Leisure and Resort Development Corp.) in their area. This, he said, despite the presence of “very clean huge freshwater lakes like Lake Ontario” where they can tap potable water.
Unlike in Pampanga, David observed which doesn’t have a lake and is totally dependent on underground water.
“Ila reng watersheds da edo paburen (They [Canadians] take care of their watersheds,” he said. “Let us asks the government to conduct a study and let’s see how the drawing of water from the aquifer sinks the water level and the ground level,” he added.
“This is a watershed. Where will they draw water except from the aquifer?”he stated on the so called “water guzzling” golf courses and water theme parks here.
According to hydrologists, “most land areas on earth have some form of aquifer underlying them, sometimes at signifi cant depths. But these aquifers are rapidly being depleted by the human population.”
Last May, Angeles City Mayor Ed Pamintuan sounded the alarm on the water rationing in Barangay Sapang Bato located just outside the southwestern section of this freeport. This, following the establishment of a wakeboarding facility on a man-made lagoon in nearby Barangay Margot, also adjacent to the Freeport.
