Metro Manila, Philippines— President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Monday renewed his push to establish a separate government body to manage the country’s water resources.
In his meeting with top officials of Isabela province, Marcos reiterated his call to create the Department of Water Resources that will address the issues surrounding the “critical” fresh water supply.
“Water is too important. Supply, our freshwater supply, is generally going down, and irrigation is not as widespread as it should be,” the President said.
“The problem is too large that we need to have a team of experts directing the 20 different concerned agencies under one roof to ensure that they would manage our water resources efficiently,” he added
Marcos also said the government would probe the country’s “precarious” freshwater supply condition, especially in urban areas.
According to the chief executive, the country’s water supply systems, which date back to the 1950s, need to be upgraded and repaired.
Bills for the creation of the Department of Water Resources and the Water Regulatory Commission are pending in both houses of Congress.
In August, the Office of the President said Marcos was studying a proposal to adopt an Integrated Water Resources Management program for the country.
Marcos first stated his intention to create a department solely for water resources in his first State of the Nation Address in July.
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