Lawmakers urged to fast-track water management bill as Super El Niño looms

MANILA — Marikina 2nd District Representative Miro S. Quimbo has urged Congress to prioritize the passage of the National Water Resources Management Act, citing growing concerns over an approaching Super El Niño weather event. The measure aims to establish a stronger national framework for managing the country's water resources more effectively across competing sectors and regions. Quimbo's appeal underscores mounting anxiety within government circles about potential water shortages and drought conditions that could affect millions of Filipinos if the anticipated climatic pattern materializes as predicted. The bill seeks to consolidate fragmented water management policies and create more coordinated responses to water security challenges. Passage of the legislation would provide authorities with enhanced regulatory tools and coordinated mechanisms to distribute water resources during periods of scarcity, potentially mitigating the severe impacts of prolonged dry seasons triggered by El Niño events. Environmental and agricultural sectors have similarly expressed support for comprehensive water management reforms, warning that the country's current patchwork of regulations leaves it vulnerable to climate-induced water crises.

Photo: Low water at the Angat Dam reservoir in Bulacan, the main water source for Metro Manila, May 2010. Albert Lozada via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0).