Senator Grace Poe
MANILA, Philippines — The executive order from President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on the creation of Water Resource Management Office (WRMO) is a “timely intervention” that will boost action to address the rising water stress in the country, said Senator Grace Poe.
Marcos earlier said that his directive for the establishment of WRMO had already been signed and would soon be released for implementation.
Poe, chair of the upper chamber’s panel on public services, welcomed the move on Thursday as she noted that bills seeking a more integrated water policy in the country are still being deliberated upon in Congress.
“This is a timely intervention from the executive branch which will hopefully alleviate the creeping water crisis in the country,” she said in a statement.
The legislator lamented the irony of the Philippines being plagued by a water crisis despite being an archipelago – all because of “fragmented resource management.”
“We expect that this development lays down the groundwork for a more integrated and holistic approach to the water problem. A whole-of-government approach is also necessary to tackle the issues of sourcing and misuse of water in the country,” she said.
Poe had earlier filed in the Senate a bill pushing for the creation of a national framework for water resource management, and a Department of Water Resources and Water Regulatory Commission.
She bewailed the weak enforcement of water-related laws in the country, pointing out that the water sector remains burdened with poor databases and inefficient cooperation among water agencies, regulatory bodies, and local governments.
In February, Marcos approved the creation of a WRMO which will be tasked to manage the country’s resources.
READ: Marcos OKs creation of Water Resource Management Office
The World Resources Institute (WRI) has sounded the alarm on the water crisis across the globe, which will continue to affect more countries by 2040.
As years pass, climate change, economic development, urbanization, and population growth will impact water demand and availability, according to the WRI.