Country/Organizational Report

Integrated Water Resources Management (IWM) Training Course

Bangkok, Thailand
July 26-August 6, 2004

WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT IN THE PHILIPPINES

1. THE NATIONAL WATER RESOURCES BOARD

a. The Creation of NWRB

The National Water Resources Council (NWRC) was created on March 28, 1974
by virtue of Presidential Decree No. 424 and was later reorganized on July 22, 1987 to
become the National Water Resources Board (NWRB) under Executive Order No. 124-
A.

The issuance of Executive Order No. 123 in September 2002 made the NWRB be
transferred from Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to Department of
Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for purposes of administrative control and
supervision.

b. Mandate

The National Water Resources Board is the body responsible for coordinating and
integrating all activities related to water resources development and management in the
Philippines.

c. Objective

Its principal objective is to achieve a scientific and orderly development and

management of the water resources of the country consistent with the principles of
optimum utilization , conservation and protection to meet present and future needs.

d. Jurisdictional Powers, Functions and Duties

1. Formulate and adopt policies and guidelines on water resources development and
management consistent with the national development plans;

2. Effect inter-sectoral/inter-departmental coordination of water resources plans and

programs within the context of national plans and policies for social and
economic development;

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 3. Regulate and control the utilization, exploitation, development, conservation and
protection of the country’s water resources;

4. Adjudicate and grant water permits and Certificate of Public

Convenience/Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity for the operation
and maintenance of water utilities and services, impose penalties for
administrative violations thereof and make all decisions and determinations
provided thereof;

5. Supervise and control all water utilities and their franchises, equipment and other
properties and regulate and fix water rates to be charged by waterworks operators
except those falling under the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan Waterworks and
Sewerage System, and the Local Water Utilities Administration;

6. Exercise original jurisdiction over all disputes relating to water appropriation and
utilization and water rates of above mentioned water utilities;

7. Review and approve rules and regulations prescribed by any government agency
that pertain to the utilization, exploitation, development, control, conservation or
protection of the country’s water resources;

8. Impose and collect reasonable fees or charges from water appropriators and
public utility operators which shall be used for the purposes deemed by the Board
to be necessary for achieving the purposes and objectives;

The NWRB is tasked with the formulation and development of policies on water
utilization and appropriation, the control and supervision of water utilities and
franchises and the regulation and rationalization of water rates.

e. Organizational Structure of NWRB (Annex 1)

f. Services/Programs

1. Policy Formulation, Evaluation and Coordination of Water Resources Programs

2. Water Use Regulation
3. Regulation of Water Utilities Operation
4. Monitoring of Water Appropriation and Utilization

g. Board Composition

The Board membership as reconstituted per E.O. 123 is composed of heads of the
departments and agencies with no direct claims to water resources. NWRB acts as the
head of Secretariat.

Chair : Secretary of Department of Environment and Natural Resources

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Vice Chair : Secretary of Socio-Economic Planning
Members : Secretary of Justice
Secretary of Finance
Secretary of Department of Health
Director of National Hydraulics Research Center-University of the
Philippines
Exec. Director of NWRB

The Board meets once a month to define policies and resolve all issues and
conflicts in water resources development and management.

h. The Role of NWRB Towards IWRM

In order to have a manageable unit for comprehensive planning of water resources

development, the NWRB has divided the country into 12 Water Resources Regions
(WRR’s). Major consideration taken into account in this regionalization are hydrological
boundaries defined by physiographic features and homogeneity of climate of the different
parts of the country. The water resources regional maps show the principal river basins
and their respective basin boundaries. Below is the delineation of water resources
regions.

WRR I - Ilocos Region

WRR II - Cagayan Valley
WRR III - Central Luzon
WRR IV - Southern Tagalog
WRR V - Bicol
WRR VI - Western Visayas
WRR VII - Central Visayas
WRR VIII - Eastern Visayas
WRR IX - Southwestern Mindanao
WRR X - Northern Mindanao
WRR XI - Southeastern Mindanao
WRR XII - Southern Mindanao

To have an overall picture of water resources situation, assessment of available

water supplies in relation to the current and projected water demands were undertaken.
These studies are done at the national, regional and sub-regional levels. Sub-regional
studies may be for a river basin, a province or a particular area. These are generally done
for comprehensive planning or when there is potential competition in the use of water
resources. (See Annex 2 for Regional Assessment of Water Resources Potentials)

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2. INSTITUTIONAL ASPECTS

The water resources management in the Philippines is anchored on the mandates

of several agencies of the government. There are about thirty (30) agencies dealing one
way or the other in the development and management of the country’s water and related
resources. These agencies have been established to undertake programs and projects
within their respective sector. The National Water Resources Board acts as the primary
agent of the State in matters pertaining to control, supervision and regulation of the use,
exploitation, development as well as protection of the water resources. The Philippine
Water Code empowers the NWRB to administer and enforce suitable policies and
directives in appropriate water resource management scenarios. (See Annex 3 for Chart
of Water Related Agencies)

The different agencies of the State involved in water resources activities are the
following:

• Water resources planning- NEDA, NWRB Inter-agency Committees at the

National Level, LLDA and ARBC at provincial and regional levels and MWSS,
LWUA, DPWH, NIA, DILG and DA.

• Water resources assessment – NWRB, MWSS, BRS, PAGASA, LWUA and NPC

• Water supply – MWSS, DILG-LGU’s, LWUA-WD’s, DPWH

• Water quality and sanitation – DOH, EMB, BRS, MWSS and LWUA

• Watershed management – DENR, NIA, BSWM, NPC and Water Districts

• Flood control – DPWH

• Irrigation – DA and NIA

• Hydropower – NPC, NEA and DOE

• Ports and navigation – DOTC, PPA

• Fisheries and recreation – BFAR, DOT and PTA

• Data collection – NWRB, MWSS, PAGASA, NSCB, BRS, NAMRIA, LWUA,

DTI and NIA

• Cloudseeding – PAGASA, BSWM, OCD, PAF

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3. CHALLENGES AND PROPOSED MEASURES ON IWRM

a. Challenges:

1. The social and economic progress of the country is dependent on the proper
development, control, and utilization of its total water resources.

2. As the country progresses and the population increases there will develop, as has
been experienced, keener competition and conflict of interest among water users.
What was once considered an unlimited natural resources is now becoming a
scarce commodity in some areas.

3. The increasing demand for water brought about by rapid population growth,
agricultural needs, industrialization and other water users demand has created the
need to manage water more efficiently. Water resources must be protected for the
present and future generation to make it sustainable.

4. The NWRB has a key role in water regulation which includes resources and
economic which are basic component of IWRM.

b. Proposed Measures:

1. Sustainable development and management of water resources through appropriate

policy and legal reforms, particularly in resource exploitation, allocation,
prioritization, optimization, protection and conservation shall be pursued. This is
the major task of NWRB in coordination with different water agencies.

2. Strengthening the National Water Resources Board (NWRB), improvement in

terms of its power, structure, status and capability that will provide an interim step
towards the rationalization of the water resources sector.

3. Regionalization of NWRB through institutionalization of Water Resources

Regional Offices (WRRO’s) or at least desk offices for each of the twelve water
resources regions. Decentralization of regulation function of the agency is
necessary in the pursuant of IWRM.

4. Implementation of capacity building programs. It is necessary to have a

continuing program for capacity building to nurture, enhance and utilize the skills
and capabilities of people at all levels so that they are better equipped to deal with
the development and management of water resources in a holistic manner and
founded on sound IWRM principles and practices.

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c. Structural and Non-structural Counter Measures:

1. Formulation of strategic plans to enable NWRB to enhance its capability to

contribute to the development of policies and implementation of integrated water
resources management in the country to support socio-economic development and
sustainable utilization of the country’s water and related resources.

2. NWRB should be strengthened in terms of effective raw water pricing and the
development of effective procedures for the transfer of water rights.

3. The implementation of the World Bank’s assisted Water Resources Development

Project which started in 1997, paved the way for the opportunity to carry out
action plan needed in attaining an integrated and sustainable development of
water resources:

Under the Water Resources Sub-Component:

• Updating of Master Plan Study on Water Resources Management (1998)

which deals with the formulation of a nation-wide master plan for water
resources development and management towards the year 2025, which
includes the water resources development plans for the major river basin and
water supply to the major cities. One of the objectives of the Study is to
formulate a master plan on water resources development and management in
the twelve water resources regions in the Philippines.

• Study on Water Resources Development for Metro Manila which aim to

identify alternative source of water supply for Metro Manila was completed
last 2002. Implementation of the project will be conducted by Metropolitan
Waterworks and Sewerage Systems (MWSS).

• Improvement of the National Water Data Collection is an on going activity

which aim to improve the three national primary monitoring networks for
streamflow, groundwater and water quality Combined network design for
streamflow, groundwater and water quality monitoring for each of the 12
water resources regions will be developed.

• National Water Information Network which is a design of a personal

computer-based system that would electronically link the databases of the
collecting agencies as well as providing easy access to user agencies. A
website is updated which contains the said data that should be readily
accessible to NWRB and other end-users.

4. NWRB is a member of the Steering Committee (SC) on the preparation of River

Basin and Watershed Management Project (RBWMP), a 6-year development

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 initiative that will pilot a comprehensive program on natural resources
management within the context of a river basin planning and management. To be
piloted strategically at all levels of governance are the Bicol Region and the
“water deficit areas” of Cebu and Metro Manila.

5. Proposed Master Plan Study on Comprehensive Agusan River Basin

Development is the preparation of the comprehensive river basin development
plan that would assess development potentials in the Agusan River Basin and
formulate environment friendly agricultural and flood control development plans
for improvement of the living standards of the residents in the basin.

6. Water Resources Assessment for Prioritized Critical Areas in the country is being
conducted in Metro Manila and Metro Cebu which are initial area for assessment.

4. ISSUES AND CONCERNS

• Increasing demands for water

• Increasing pollution of water resources
• Inadequate institutional capacity building and financial support
• Fragmentation among water-related agencies
• Absence of coordinated and systematic basic water data collection system
• Absence of an independent regulatory body

5. FUTURE VISIONS AND GOALS

• Effective regulatory framework for water resources management (water resource

regulation)

• Effective framework for sustainable water utilization (economic regulation and

cost recovery)

• Mechanism and policy for coordination and integration of water resources

development and management.

By: Jorge M. Estioko (Chief, Water Resources Development Officer, NWRB))

Jesusa T. Roque (Engineer III, Policy and Program Division, NWRB)
Philippines

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 Annex 1

NATIONAL WATER RESOURCES BOARD (NWRB)

ORGANIZATIONAL CHART

Chairman – Secretary, Department of Environment & Natural Resources BOARD

Vice Chairman – Director-General, National Economic Development Authority
Members : Secretary, Department of Finance
Secretary, Department of Health
Secretary, Department of Justice
Director, National Hydraulics Research Center
EXECUTIVE
Executive Director, National Water Resources Board DIRECTOR

DEPUTY EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR

MONITORING & ADMINISTRATIVE

POLICY & PROGRAM WATER RIGHTS WATER UTILITIES
ENFORCEMENT & FINANCIAL
DIVISION DIVISION DIVISION
DIVISION DIVISION

POLICY FORMULATION REGISTRATION & OPERATION & GENERAL

SECTION PERMIT SECTION LICENSING SECTION MONITORING SECTION SERVICES SECTION

PROGRAM EVALUATION & WATER RATES WATER METER

PERSONNEL &
COORDINATION SECTION EVALUATION SECTION EVALUATION SECTION CALIBRATION SECTION
RECORDS SECTION

WATER RESOURCES COMPLAINTS & LITIGATION & ENFORCEMENT BUDGET &

ASSESSMENT SECTION INVESTIGATION SECTION ADJUDICATION SECTION SECTION ACCOUNTING SECTION

WATER RESOURCES LITIGATION & SYSTEMS & ACCOUNTS EVALUATION COLLECTION &
INFORMATION SECTION ADJUDICATION SECTION SECTION SECTION DISBURSEMENT SECTION
 AGENCIES WITH WATER RELATED ACTIVITIES

POLICY-MAKING

NEDA

COORDINATION/REGULATORY

NWRB

WATER QUALITY WATERSHED WATER SUPPLY DATA COLLECTION

AND SANITATION MANAGEMENT

EMB-DENR DOH FMB-DENR BSWM DPWH LWUA/WD’S NWRB BRS NIA

BRS NIA NPC MWSS PMO-RWS MWSS NAMRIA
PAWB DILG-LGU’S PAGASA LWUA
NSCB DTI

RESEARCH INTEGRATED AREA FLOOD CONTROL CLOUD SEEDING

DEVELOPMENT

PCAFNRRD BRS LLDA-DENR DPWH OCD PAF

PCAMRD ERDB RDC BOI PMO-SWIM BSWM
DOST PCSDS ARBC PMO-MFCP PAGASA

IRRIGATION HYDROPOWER PORTS AND FISHERIES AND

NAVIGATION RECREATION
NEA
NIA NPC DOTC BFAR PTA
DA DOE PPA DOT