MANILA, Philippines- Tuluyan nang umarangka sa plenaryo ang panukalang paglikha ng Department of Water Resources sa pamamagitan ni Senador Grace Poe na tanging isponsor ng Senate Bill No. 2771.
Bukod kay Poe, kasama sa lumagda sa committee report na sinuportahan ng 19 pang ibang senador si Senador Alan Peter Cayetano na inirekomenda ang pag-apruba ng panukalang likhain ang Department of Water Resources at Water Regulatory Commission.
Layunin ng panukala na lumikha ng isang centralized system na mamamahala at mangangalaga sa water resources ng bansa upang tiyakin ang malinis at ligtas na pagkukunan ng tubig.
Kilala rin bilang ‘National Water Resources Management Act,’ ang panukala ay naglalayong likhain ang Department of Water Resources bilang pangunahing policy, planning, coordinating, implementing, monitoring, and administrative entity ng Executive Branch ng pamahalaan.
“The root of our water crisis, however, is actually a crisis in regulation. The problem is not that we don’t have resources, but we do not effectively manage our resources,” ayon kay Poe sa kanyang sponsorship speech.
“We have the abundant water supply to get ourselves out of this water crisis: 421 river basins; 59 natural lakes; over 100,000 hectares of freshwater swamps; 20.2 billion cubic meters per year of groundwater potential; and 2,400 millimeters of average rainfall throughout the year,” giit niya.
Sanhi ng kawalan ng masterplan, nagkakagulo ang water sector kaya nagkakasira-sira sa kalumaan na water pipes system.
“Our pipes have been laid down in a haphazard manner, just like our water sector which has overlapping agencies and fragmented management,” giit ni Poe.
“Without a clear framework to guide us, solutions have been limited to rearranging pipes and patching up leaks,” dagdag niya.
Naniniwala si Poe na kapag nilikha ang nag-iisang ahensya sa regulasyon ng water sector, malaki ang maitutulong nito na paluwagin ang masalimuot na burukrasya sa sektor.
Nakatakda sa panukala ang paglikha ng National Water Resources Management Plan na magbibigay ng estratehiya at gagawin ang kinakailangan upang makamit ang water security.
Lilikhain dito ang water resources data center at makikipag-ugnayan sa lahat ng ahensya hinggil sa resource inventory, research, at data-sharing.
“The department’s main duty would be to cultivate the country’s water resources and ensure that everyone will have a proper supply,” ani Poe.
Kabibilangan ang paglikha ng National Water Sector Policy Council ang hepe ng Department of Water Resources, National Economic Development Authority (NEDA), Department of Health (DOH), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Energy (DOE), Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Department of Budget and Management (DBM), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Office of the President at ng National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP).
Bukod dito, lilikhain din ang Water Regulatory Commission bilang isang independent quasi-judicial body kasama ng kagawaran.
Tungkulin ng komisyon ang regulasyon sa lahat ng water service providers, mula water supply, distribution, at bulk water sourcing hanggang sanitation at sewerage services.
“Through these reforms, we create key centralized institutions with clear mandates and responsibilities yet unified in the goal of attaining universal access to safe, adequate, affordable, and sustainable water supply, and improved sewerage and sanitation services,” aniya.
Kasabay nito, sinabi ni Cayetano na lubos na magpapahusay sa kakayahan ng gobyerno na tugunan ang lahat ng isyu sa kakulangan sa tubig, polusyon, at mahinang uri ng imprastruktura.
“Other countries have 10-year plans about their water resources. This should also be the case in our country to address not only the current shortages but also about future-proofing our water systems against the growing impacts of climate change and population growth,” aniya.
Matagal nang isinusulong ni Cayetano ang kahalagahan ng maaagap na hakbangin upang mapabuti ang sistema sa pamamahala ng tubig sa bansa at pangalagaan ang public access sa mahalagang mapagkukunang ito.
“We’re all equally guilty na dahil it’s not in front of us, kung hindi pa nawalan ng tubig sa Metro Manila, hindi pa magkakandaugaga ang mga tao na merong water crisis,” pahayag niya. Ernie Reyes
