Poe refiles bill creating Department of Water Resources

Senator Grace Poe refiled a bill mandating the creation of the Department of Water Resources, a measure that was included in President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s priority legislative agenda.

Under Senate Bill 102 or the National Water Resource Management Act, the Department of Water Resources will be the primary policy, planning, coordinating, implementing, monitoring, and administrative entity of the executive branch of the government responsible for the comprehensive and integrated development and management of the water resources of the Philippines.

The department would also manage the optimal allocation of water resources among competing uses to achieve universal access to safe, adequate and affordable water supply, sanitation, and septage services.

The measure also seeks to rationalize the economic as well as the administrative regulation of water utilities through an independent, quasi-judicial body called the water Regulatory Commission.

Among the functions of the regulatory body is to set the policy for water supply, sewerage and septage management; issue licenses; set, review and approve rates; review and suspend contracts; initiate investigations on erring officials; review and revoke issuances, memoranda and the like, that are not in accordance with the spirit of the commission, and ensure that the welfare of consumers are prioritized.

"Because there is no lead agency in the water resource sector, the different coordination systems, functions and jurisdictions of the various agencies have made it impossibly hard for water and sanitation to be collectively managed. Thus, the establishment of a unified agency that would focus on water, sewerage and sanitation is certainly very important," Poe said in explaining the intention of the bill.

Also under SB 102, regulatory units must set fair, reasonable tariffs and rates based on a scientific and evidence-based methodology. A 12-percent cap on return of investment must be adhered to by providers.

At the same time, the proposed measure provides incentives to encourage efficiency, expand services, and reduce costs.

“Water is essential to our daily lives. It is fundamental to our survival and growth. We must manage this resource efficiently to ensure that our people's needs are sufficiently met,” Poe said in a separate statement.

During his first State of the Nation Address, Marcos had asked both houses of Congress to pass a measure creating the Department of Water Resources. — DVM, GMA News