(Eagle News)—President Rodrigo Duterte is mulling the creation of a Department of Water and a Department of Disaster Resilience.
According to Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo, during Monday’s Cabinet meeting, a “roadmap was presented” which included these “immediate, medium and long-term interventions..”
The interventions included making an intensive campaign for the conservation of water and energy, the dredging of waterways, replacing tunnels and aqueducts, installing water tank systems in all Department of Health hospitals and providing funding for the establishment of water treatment plants.
During the Cabinet meeting, Panelo said National Economic and Development Authority Undersecretary Adoracion Navarro presented a proposed executive order to transform and strengthen the National Water Resources Board.
Panelo said the EO will merge the NWRB and the River Basin Control Office into the National Water Management Council.
“This will streamline and consolidate planning and regulation of all water and river basins in the country. It will also draft a National Water Management Framework Plan,” he said.
According to Panelo, President Rodrigo Duterte also directed Solicitor General Jose Calida and Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra to study the case involving Maynilad and the Philippine government.
The Singapore High Court sided with Maynilad in 2017, saying the government owed P3.42 billion in compensation for the delayed implementation of a water rate hike.
The Philippine government appealed the decision but the panel still sided with the water concessionaire, allowing Maynilad to adjust water rates.
Panelo said the President also “instructed all agencies to check and review all contracts entered into and remove onerous provisions that might be detrimental to the lives of the Filipinos.”
