Marilyn Cahatol

The plenary hall of the House of Representatives  minutes before it opens for the first regular session for the 20th Congress on July 28, 2025. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Vivienne Gulla

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA — The House of Representatives has approved a measure seeking to create the Department of Water Resources, which is among the legislative priorities of the Marcos Jr. administration.</p><p>During the House plenary session on Monday, the lower chamber passed House Bill 6789 on third and final reading, with 263 affirmative votes, 7 negative votes, and no abstentions.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/12/15/house-approves-on-2nd-reading-bill-creating-department-of-water-resources-2037">House approves on 2nd reading bill creating Department of Water Resources</a></div><p>The measure establishes and mandates the Department of Water Resources to be the primary agency responsible for the comprehensive and integrated identification and mapping of all water resources, planning, policy formulation, and management of the ownership, appropriation, utilization, exploitation, development, sustainability and protection of water resources in the Philippines, except for fisheries or aquaculture.</p><p>It empowers the department with policymaking, planning, management and regulation of water resources, and to develop institutional arrangements with public water organizations and ensure coordination with all stakeholders for all water resource development, integration and management activities, including sanitation, flood control, flood risk management and drought risk management.</p><p>The measure also allows the department to enter into contracts, joint venture agreements, or understanding, public private partnerships and memorandum of agreements or understanding, either domestic or foreign, relating to investment and financing water-related projects, under such terms and conditions as the Department may deem proper and reasonable subject to existing laws.</p><p>The bill further declares all water and water treatment infrastructure projects as projects imbued with national interest.</p><p>The House approved a similar proposal on third and final reading in the 19th Congress.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/7/4/push-to-create-department-of-water-resources-revived-at-house-1721">Push to create Department of Water Resources revived at House</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO: </strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZDJgreGP1Qk?si=GLobe4AgcpVxrb0w" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>

<p>The House of Representatives has approved a measure seeking to create the Department of Water Resources, which is among the legislative priorities of the Marcos Jr. administration.</p>

The House of Representatives has approved a measure seeking to create the Department of Water Resources, which is among the legislative priorities of the Marcos Jr. administration.

House OKs bill creating Department of Water Resources

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House OKs bill creating Department of Water Resources

Vivienne Gulla,

ABS-CBN News

Published December 22, 2025 04:39 PM PHT

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