Water department bill passage eyed in January

Salceda said they are considering including estseros under the department. #waterdepartment

DENR Sec. Roy Cimatu inspects the Estero de San Antonio in Manila. (Bob Dungo Jr.)

The House leadership is targeting the passage by January of the proposed measure that will establish a department of water resources, sewage and sanitation.

Albay 2nd District Rep. Joey Salceda stated this in a recent interview during the joint technical working group (TWG) meeting of the House Committee on Government Reorganization and the Committee on Public Works and Highways on the creation of the Department of Water Resources (DWR) and Water Resources Commission (WRC) at a hotel in Mandaluyong City on 7 October. Representatives from agencies involved in water resource management such as Maynilad Water Company Inc., National Irrigation Administration and Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission joined the TWG in the meeting.

According to Salceda the TWG agreed to include two news provisions on the bill.

“Yung ilang bagay lang po ang malaking pagbabago. Number one, lahat ng tubig sa Pilipinas belongs to the state and must be used for the people. We are also enshrining that water is a basic human right, that there should be universal access to water,” Salceda said.

Under the working draft of the House, agencies to be under the DWR are the Local Water Utilities Administration, Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System, Laguna Lake Development Authority, Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission and other agencies excercising water resource management.

Salceda said they consider including estseros under the department.

“Pinagdedebatehan pa kung lahat ng esteros ay isasama kasi nga ‘yung pag-provide ng water dapat tubig sewerage tsaka water treatment. So ngayon wala pa tayong masyadong sewerage so kailangang kailangan po mag-water treatment bago po itapon dyan sa dagat o ibalik na lang as another water source,” he said.

According to Salceda, the the bill creating the DRW will prioritize the provision of water lines in geographically-isolated and conflict-affected areas.

Creation of water treatment plants will also be prioritized, he said.

“24 percent pa lang ang waste water treatment ng both Maynilad and Manila Water. Seventy-six percent lahat po ng dumi ay diretso po as dumi, hindi po siya nati-treat. It affects the water quality and affects of course the environment, lalong-lalo na ang Manila Bay, Pasig River — dumping site ng untreated used water,” added Salceda.

The congressman highlighted the need for the department in addressing mismanagement in water resources.

“Madami tayong tubig actually kaso hindi natin nagagamit gawa nga po ng di nama-manage kaya kailangan po ng [DWR] like ‘yang mga flood waters, yung mga tubig po natin diyan sa mga lakes, although nagagamit pero hindi po nasisietmatciaally maoptimize ang kanilang pong utilization.”

The creation of a Department of Water Resources is among the priority bills of the administration under President Rodrigo Duterte.