The chairman of the House Committee on Ecology is pushing for the passage of a measure creating the Department of Water Resources and Services.
PDP-Laban Rep. Estrellita B. Suansing of Nueva Ecija said she filed House Bill (HB) 4995 after the World Resources Institute warned that the Philippines is vulnerable to a “severe water shortage” because of rapid population growth and the effects of climate change.
“A study by the World Water Organization showed that water supply in the country is diminishing,” Suansing said.
The bill, pending before the House Committee on Government Reorganization, seeks to set the policy for the preservation of water resources in the country, regulate its supply, and devise ways for its safety, protection and preservation.
The measure also seeks to rationalize the management of water resources and sanitation through the creation of the Department of Water Resources and Services.
“It shall set the policy for the preservation of water resources in the country, regulate its supply to ensure optimal use and devise ways and means for the long-term safety, protection and preservation of the important natural resource,” the bill read.
The envisioned agency will manage sanitation and sewerage services, as well as the construction, maintenance and monitoring of water-related infrastructure.
Under Suansing’s proposal, the agency will also manage, control and protect water resources for domestic purposes, sanitation, irrigation, hydropower, fisheries, aquaculture, flood control and recreation.
The lawmaker wants to transfer these agencies or corporate entities to the department: National Water Resources Board and Laguna Lake Development Authority, both currently under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources; and Local Water Utilities Administration, National Irrigation Administration and Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission, all currently under the Office of the President.
According to Suansing, the water shortage will be aggravated by the “fragmented and overlapping” functions of water agencies in the country.
“The lack of a holistic program for water-resources management creates a perennial problem that seriously affects the lives of our citizens in terms of health, sanitation, food security and livelihood, which are indispensable for social and economic development,” Suansing said.
The proposed agency will have an initial budget of P100 million.