Push for independent water department still going on – Poe

WAIT YOUR TURN. People with containers line up in Mandaluyong City to get water in this photo taken on March 13, 2019. (Inquirer.net/Joan Bondoc)

Updated 4:02 p.m.

MANILA, Philippines — Even though work is already being done to establish a Water Resource Management Office (WRMO), Senator Grace Poe has not given up on her push for an independent water department.

“We will continue to push for a law that would create a separate Department of Water to focus on effective water resources management to ensure that our people’s need for water is sufficiently met,” Poe said in a statement on Friday.

Police made the remark after President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. signed an executive order to establish the Water Resources Management Office (WRMO) under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

READ: Poe refiles bill for creation of Department of Water Resources

The senator heads the Senate public services panel.

She had previously filed Senate bill number 102, titled ‘Water Resource Management Act’ for this purpose.

The measure states the proposed water department will serve as the primary policy, planning, coordinating, implementing, monitoring, and administrative entity of the executive branch of government.

It will also strategically allocate water resources to make them more widely available.

As for the WRMO, Poe says, “As it works out long-term solutions, the new body should address the need of the hour, which is water flowing from the tap.”

READ: Maynilad, Manila Water urged to gear up for water crisis

“Taun-taon naman ang tag-init. Dapat nagkaroon na ng mahusay na plano at implementasyon para masigurong hindi mauubusan ng tubig ang bawat grupo,” she added.

(Dry season comes every year. So we should chart a good plan and implementation to ensure that groups won’t run out of water.)

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APL/ Edit update by abc (4:02 p.m.)