The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) highlighted the significance of the proposed Department of Water Resources (DWR), which is among the priority measures of the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC), as it is expected to address the Philippines’ long-standing challenges in flood management and agricultural productivity.
NEDA in a statement on Tuesday said the measure remains as one of the top priority bills under LEDAC’s Common Legislative Agenda (CLA). It is targeted for passage before the end of the 19th Congress.
The LEDAC, chaired by the President and composed of the Senate President, the Speaker of the House, representatives from the Senate, the House of Representatives and the Cabinet, is a high-level advisory body that sets the government’s legislative priorities.
During the seventh LEDAC meeting on December 9, NEDA Secretary Arsenio Balisacan underscored the bill will establish a central agency to efficiently manage and develop the country’s water resources, addressing issues such as the current institutional fragmentation of the sector.
“The recurring devastation caused by heavy typhoons necessitates that we prepare for our country’s future and safety. The DWR will be mandated to coordinate with relevant agencies on the construction of water projects, which will improve our irrigation and flood management,” Balisacan said.
The Council, during its meeting, also reviewed progress on other CLA bills, including the Amendments to the Electric Power Industry Reform Act, the Magna Carta of Barangay Health Workers and the National Government Rightsizing Program. As of this writing, 29 of the 64 bills under CLA have now been signed into law.
