THE creation of a single agency to oversee the management of water utilities in the country is obviously a popular idea in Congress, as 35 separate bills that would create a Department of Water Resources (DWR) have been filed. The bill approved by the House Committees on Government Reorganization and Public Works and Highways would cut the number of agencies dealing with water matters to just two: the DWR and the National Water Resources Board (NWRB), which would continue in its current form. Ten other agencies would either be transferred to the new department or have their functions absorbed by it. The first and perhaps the most practical one is the simple streamlining of management the new department represents. The proposed DWR may also help to improve the regulation of privatized water infrastructure, since resources can be shared and indirect impacts can be quickly identified.

Source: Manila Times November 16, 2019 16:18 UTC