DENR calls for swift passage of national water resources management bill

THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is calling for the fast-tracked passage of House Bill (HB) No. 6789 that establishes a national framework for water resource management and the creation of the Department of Water Resources and the Water Regulatory Commission.

- — J. Macapagal

HB 6789 will reportedly address institutional complexities brought about by overlapping responsibilities and challenges in coordination, planning, policy formulation, resource allocation, and data systems of the country's water resources. This includes the creation of a cabinet-level authority responsible for national water policy, planning, allocation, and conservation. The objective is to consolidate fragmented functions and strengthen coordination across sectors to position water security as a strategic component of national development.

The bill which the House of Representatives recently approved on third reading, will unify and modernize the country’s fragmented water governance system, DENR said in a statement on Tuesday.

The agency said the measure is among priority bills endorsed by the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council, following President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to accelerate key reforms this year. This reflects the growing consensus that water security is now a core driver of governance reform, climate resilience, and long-term economic stability, it added.