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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider SONA should highlight need for water department, says ranking solon

SONA should highlight need for water department, says ranking solon

Published Jul 22, 2023 06:46 pm
Bagong Henerasyon (BH) Party-list Rep. Bernadette Herrera (Rep. Herrera's office)




A ranking solon is crossing her fingers that President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. would press for the creation of the Department of Water Resources (DWR) in his upcoming State of the Nation Address (SONA). Bagong Henerasyon (BH) Party-list Rep. Bernadette Herrera said the creation of a department dedicated to water resource management has never been more important and urgent amid the growing water crisis. “We look forward to how the President plans to address the growing water crisis. We expect him to lay down a comprehensive blueprint, which should include the creation of DWR,” Herrera, a deputy minority leader in the House of Representatives, said in a statement Sunday, July 23. Marcos will deliver his second SONA on Monday, July 24. Herrera said she is also hoping that the President would support her proposal to create the Water Regulatory Commission (WRC). The body would be in charge of regulating water services in the country. Last March, President Marcos issued an executive order creating the Water Resources Management Office (WRMO) to manage the country’s water resources and to respond to the current environmental challenges. The WRMO, which is under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), is a transitory body pending the creation of the DWR. Its main functions include formulating and ensuring the implementation of the Integrated Water Management Plan, which will harmonize various plans of different agencies. “We would like to hear the President asking Congress to prioritize the passage of legislation creating the DWR, as well as the measure establishing the WRC, during the second regular session of the 19th Congress,” Herrera said. “Water crisis is a permanent problem that requires permanent solutions. It is high time that we come up with a comprehensive regulatory framework designed to better balance the management of the country’s water resources through the creation of DWR and WRC,” she added. Last February, the House Committees on Government Reorganization and on Public Works and Highways formed a technical working group to consolidate several measures on the creation of DWR and WRC, including House Bill (HB) Nos. 1013 and 1014 that Herrera filed in July last year.

Related Tags

State of the Nation Address Rep. Bernadette Herrera Bagong Henerasyon (BH) Partylist water crisis DWR
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