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Expert seeks water sector's harmonization

By Catherine Teves

March 19, 2019, 9:09 pm

MANILA -- An expert sees to need harmonize functions of the agencies comprising the country's water sector. 

Such harmonization will help improve management  of water resources nationwide, noted Exec. Dir. Dr. Sevillo David Jr. of National Water Resources Board (NWRB), the agency responsible for all water resources nationwide. 

"Creating an apex body is one way to harmonize functions of agencies in the water sector," he said Tuesday (March 19) at the Senate hearing on water shortage gripping private water concessionaire Manila Water Company Inc. and its customers. 

Harmonizing the agencies' functions will help government optimize utilization of water resources nationwide, he noted.  

David said several bills on the sector's harmonization and unification remain pending in Congress. 

He welcomes enactment of a law on the matter. 

"I agree we have to unify," he said. 

In 2006, Bohol Rep. Arthur Yap also raised need for an apex body covering the water sector. 

He filed that year HB 2457 which seeks rationalizing resource management of water, sewage and sanitation by creating the Department of Water, Sewage and Sanitation. 

The country has over 30 agencies with overlapping functions related to water, he said. 

Overlaps in the agencies' functions  resulted in fragmented and ineffective approach to water management, he said. (PNA)

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