Water department in Congress pipeline

The House of Representatives is prioritizing the creation of a unified water department in a bid to streamline processes and cut red tape in the government.

Former agriculture secretary and now Bohol Rep. Arthur Yap hopes to include the establishment of a Department of Water Resources and Services in the lineup of priority bills for approval of both houses of Congress.

“We are really going to be pushing hard for that. The hearings have started and we want to consolidate and have a picture, a snapshot of how we will approve the procedures for our water resource,” Yap told reporters on the sidelines of the Sustainable Agriculture Forum of the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines on Wednesday.

Yap filed House Bill 2457 or Rationalizing the Resource Management of the Water Sector, Creating the Department of Water, Sewage and Sanitation, to address the fragmented and overlapping functions of water agencies in the country.

“Right now, in order to open up a bulk water distribution facility, you have to go through 15 agencies. There’s a need to consolidate all these in one agency because water is a critical resource,” Yap said.

According to Yap, the creation of the new department would also address the issue of bureaucracy and streamline the process of getting permits for every project.

“If we want to build something, for example in Bohol, in a matter of few days we should be able to get all the necessary permits needed as long as I comply with all requirements,” Yap said.

“But right now, you have to go to a lot of agencies and local government units. It will take you one year to get all those permits,” he added.

The bill shall transfer the National Water Resources Board, Local Water Utilities Administration, National Irrigation Administration, Laguna Lake Development Authority, and Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission into one single entity.

The World Resources Institute warned that the Philippines is vulnerable to severe water shortage in the coming years because of the combined impact of its rapid population growth and the effects of climate change.

Only 77 percent of the rural population and 90 percent of those in urban areas have access to an improved water source while only 44 percent have direct house connections, Yap said.

“With the increase in population coupled with worsening pollution of water, lack of infrastructure and facilities result in allocation issues and conflicting rights over limited water supply,” he added.

Yap added that most of the problems encountered in the water sector today arise from an issue of conflicts of use and water allocation.

The new department will also be tasked with developing and implementing a comprehensive water, sewage and sanitation program for the country.