ASSESSMENT OF WATER RESOURCES AND WATER DEMAND BY USER

SECTORS IN THE PHILIPPINES

Isidra D. Peñaranda¹
Dolores S.D. Cleofas2

¹ National Water Resources Board, Quezon City, Philippines

2
University of Sto. Tomas, Manila, Philippines

Abstract : The Philippines has been divided into 12 water resources regions in order to have a manageable unit for a
comprehensive planning of water resources development. The major considerations taken into account in the regionalization
are hydrological boundaries as defined by physiographic features and homogeneity of climate. The assessment of available
water resources in relation to the current and projected water demands by user sectors were made based on this
regionalization. Current issues and concerns were discussed from which conclusions and recommendations were based.

Key words : groundwater, surface water, water potential, con-consumptive use

1 INTRODUCTION
The Philippines is an archipelago consisting of some 7,100
islands located southeast by the Asian mainland between
latitude 4o 23' N - 21o 25' N and longitude 116o - 127o E. It
is bounded on the west and north by the South China Sea, on
the east by the Pacific Ocean, and on the south by the
Celebes Sea and the coastal waters of Borneo. The aggregate
country area is about 300,000 km2 which is divided into
three major island groups, namely: Luzon with an area of
141,000 km2; Mindanao with 102,000 km2; and Visayas
with 57,000 km2.
In view of the variances in the geographical and climatic
conditions, the hydrological characteristics vary widely both
in time and in place which greatly affects the availability of
water resources in the different parts of the country. The
hydrological boundaries as defined by physiographical
features and climatic homogeneity determines the
regionalization of the country into 12 water resources
regions (WRR), the unit for comprehensive planning of
water resources development by the National Water
Resources Board, the agency created to carry out the
coordination and regulation of the water resources in the
country.
1.1 Physiography
A study of the geological history of the archipelago shows
that the islands are actually the peak of mountains uplifted
from the sea floor by the horizontal pressure exerted by the
Indo-Australian Plate and the Asiatic Plate on the eastern
borders of the Philippine Plate during the Miocene Period.
What appear to be islands are, in effect “half-drowned
mountains” which form part of a long and wide Cordillera
extending from Indonesia to Japan. Other peaks are of
volcanic origin.
Luzon island group is the most mountainous with extensive
valleys and plains running through its interiors. The southern
portion of the island has a dominantly volcanic topography
with ridges and valleys of gentle slopes and generally
accordant drainage.
The Visayas islands are fully exposed to the typhoons from
the Pacific and torrential rains which have produced severe
dissection of its topography.
Mindanao has diverse structural - elements and different
forms of physiographic development including fault block
mountains, volcanic peaks, uplifted plateaus, low flat basins,
a notable fault zone which also cuts through Luzon and
Visayas, fissures flow masses and incised valleys and
canyons.
The Philippines is part of a western Pacific arc system that is
characterized by active volcanoes such as Mayon and
Bulusan in Bicol Region, Taal Volcano in Southern Tagalog
Region, Kanlaon Volcano in Western Visayas Region and
the Hibok-Hibok Volcano in Northern Mindanao Region.
1.2 Climate
The Philippines has a tropical climate dominated by a rainy
season and a dry season. The principal air streams which
significantly affect the country are Northeast Monsoon, the
Southwest Monsoon and the North Pacific Trades. The
Northeast Monsoon prevails during the months of October to
March but is most dominant during January and February.
The Southwest Monsoon generally occurs from May to
October when the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITZ) has
moved over the area, bringing heavy rainfall in most part of
the country. The North Pacific Trades is generally prevalent
over the entire Philippines in April and early May, and over
the central and southern parts in October.
1.3 Rainfall
Rainfall in the Philippines has a wide range of intensities
with the highest of 9,006 mm recorded in Baguio City in
1910 and lowest of 94.2 mm in Vigan, Ilocos Sur in 1948,

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both in Luzon. The average is 2,360 mm per year over the However, the use for hydropower is considered non-
numerous stations in the country. Precipitation is influenced consumptive.
by prevailing air streams or monsoons, tropical typhoons,
the Inter-tropical Convergence Zone, easterly waves, local Table 1. Summary of water grants by NWRB as of
thunder storms and topography. December 2012 (MCM/year)
Uses GW SW Total
1.4 Temperature and Humidity
The mean annual temperature in the Philippines is about Municipal 1,915.18 4,552.31 6,467.49
27oC, ranging from 25.5oC to 28oC. The hottest months Industrial 503.72 7,724.26 8,227.98
are May with 28.4 oC, June with 27.9oC and April with Irrigation 930.54 66,048.78 66,979.33
27.8oC. The coldest months are January with 25.5oC, Power 64.69 111,833.93 111,898.61
February with 25.8oC and December 26.1oC.
Fisheries 57.59 695.80 753.38
Relative humidity ranges from 76.4% to 85.5% with a mean Livestock 18.41 0.08 18.50
annual of 80.4% throughout the country. Recreation 88.87 166.34 255.21
Others 74.32 504.61 578.93
1.5 Surface Water Total grants 3,653.31 191,526.11 195,179.42
Of the country's mean annual rainfall of 2,360 mm, about
∑Consumptive 3,588.62 79,692.18 83,280.81
1000 to 2000 mm flows as surface runoff to numerous rivers,
lakes, swamplands and other water bodies. GW-groundwater; SW-surface water

The Philippines has 421 identified principal river basins with
drainage area of at least 40 km2 each. Eighteen of these river
basins are considered as major river basins with individual
drainage area of more than 1,400 km2. The largest is the
Cagayan River which has a catchment area of 25,694 km2.
There are also some 59 inland lakes with an aggregate area
of about 2,029 km2. The six largest lakes are the Laguna
de Bay, Lake Lanao, Lake Taal, Lake Mainit, Lake Naujan,
and Lake Buluan.
Swamps and marshes also abound in the country with an
aggregate area of about 5,290 km2. Extensive swamplands
include the Candaba swamp, San Antonio swamp, and
Liguasan marsh.
Table 1 shows the existing sectoral water demand allocations
by NWRB. The present annual water use for the major
sectoral uses except for hydropower, i.e., municipal,
industrial and agricultural totaled to about 83,280.81
MCM/year, with municipal use amounting to 6,467.49
MCM or 7.77% of the total consumptive use and industrial
use amounting to 8,227.98 MCM or 9.88% of the total
consumptive use. Fig 1 shows that agricultural use is the
largest water consumer in the country, excluding
hydropower which substantially does not consume water.
Agricultural water demand was derived from irrigation,
livestock, and fisheries.

1.6 Groundwater
In general, the total groundwater development potential of
a given water resources region (WRR) is considered equal to
its groundwater recharge. The future groundwater potential
of the region corresponds to the groundwater amount which
is not currently used. Groundwater recharge is estimated
using empirical method based on the annual precipitation.

In the Master Plan Study on Water Resources Management
in the Philippines (1998), estimates of the groundwater
potential by region were made. The groundwater recharge
was taken to be 5% of average annual precipitation.
2 SECTORAL WATER USE AND DEMAND
2.1 Present Demand
The sectoral water uses considered in this paper are those of
the legal water users who were granted rights by the
National Water Resources Board (NWRB) to extract water.
The major water resources user sectors in the Philippines
are: municipal, industrial, agricultural and hydropower.
Fig. 1 Water allocation of NWRB (consumptive), 2012
The total agricultural annual water demand by water
resources region as of December 2012 was estimated at
67,751.21 MCM or 81.35% of the total water demand.
About 66,979.33 or 98.86% is shared by irrigation sub-
sector. The livestock/poultry sub-sector accounted for
18.50 MCM or 0.03 % of the total agricultural water
demand. For the fishery sub-sector, the total demand as of
2012 was estimated at 753.38 MCM or 1.11% of the total
agricultural water demand. The total annual hydropower use
was estimated at 111,898.61 MCM but is considered non-
consumptive hence was not reflected in the chart.

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Based on the sources, the bulk of groundwater is allocated to
the municipal sector as shown in Figure 2, while the bulk of
surface water supply is allocated to agricultural particularly
irrigation as shown in Figure 3.
(Table 3) which is almost equal to the present consumption.
Under Case 2, total water demand for the same year is about
60,600 MCM (Table 4) which has been realized much earlier
than projected. The probable reasons for this might be the
Philippine economy performing better than what was
projected or the population growing more than the projected
rate.

Table 3 Future Water Demand, High Economic Growth

Rate Scenario: Case 1 (MCM/year)
WRR 2010 2015 2020 2025

I 2,731.15 2,882.80 2,954.14 3,041.26

II 8,167.00 9,770.35 11,111.59 12,466.11

III 14,177.67 15,676.50 16,728.72 18,168.00

IV 6,437.57 7,522.87 8,566.05 10,052.02

Fig. 2 Groundwater allocation of NWRB (consumptive),
2012 V 2,855.81 3,355.27 3,744.47 4,166.66

VI 6,105.05 6,617.87 6,991.80 7,595.01

VII 1,950.03 2,186.53 2,412.18 2,729.06

VIII 1,493.64 1,651.32 1,779.75 1,955.72

IX 3,512.26 3,854.11 4,116.47 4,597.95

X 2,246.00 2,721.85 3,177.99 3,682.35

XI 2,549.37 3,086.24 3,580.65 4,140.90

XII 7,568.86 9,397.97 11,073.74 12,805.75

TOTAL 59,794.41 68,723.68 76,237.55 85,400.79

Fig. 3 Surface water allocation of NWRB (consumptive), Table 4 Future Water Demand, Low Economic Growth
2012 Rate Scenario: Case 2 (MCM/year)
WRR 2010 2015 2020 2025
2.2 Future Water Demand I 2,699.68 2,812.40 2,842.25 2,874.02
The Master Plan Study on Water Resources in the
Philippines prepared by Japan International Cooperation II 7,286.16 7,571.73 7,594.57 7,618.33
Agency (JICA) for NWRB in 1998 is the only master plan
III 13,430.31 14,119.66 14,378.10 14,617.80
available that predicted future water demand in the country
until 2025. IV 6,038.65 6,514.27 6,846.53 7,367.84

V 2,604.91 2,755.76 2,799.58 2,841.46

Future water demand is projected under two cases, Case 1 or
the high economic growth scenario and Case 2 or the low VI 5,748.42 5,969.01 6,091.22 6,205.97
economic growth scenario. Case 1 is the highly optimistic
scenario which assumes that the overall vigorous VII 1,849.80 1,999.14 2,125.27 2,225.87
performance of the Philippine economy would be sustained VIII 1,436.55 1,527.30 1,578.89 1,644.35
in the future. On the other hand, Case 2 takes into
consideration the many uncertainties in the future caused by IX 3,251.01 3,409.64 3,523.37 3,615.97
natural disasters such as drought, volcanic eruption, typhoon, X 1,983.13 2,088.98 2,168.75 2,252.61
La Nina, El Nino, and economic instability by inflation and
depreciation of currency which would not sustain the high XI 2,211.99 2,297.36 2,349.92 2,390.07
economic growth in the future. XII 6,491.67 6,739.40 6,838.72 6,945.54

As shown on Table 1, present consumption for municipal, TOTAL 55,032.28 57,804.65 59,137.17 60,599.83
industrial and agricultural uses totaled to about 82,446.68 Source: Master Plan Study on Water Resources Management
MCM/year. Under Case 1, projected withdrawals by the in the Philippines, 1998
same users for the year 2025 will be about 85,401 MCM

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3 ANALYSIS OF WATER RESOURCES under run-of-the river type is usually determined. The
AVAILABILITY AND WATER USE latter is considered to be the maximum water resources to be
The water resource is generally categorized largely into two exploited through provision of storage-type dams in the
types, namely "surface water and groundwater". The region for the purpose of regulating flow. This is shown in
groundwater is classified into "wells and springs" in Table 2.
accordance with the mode of its extraction.
Table 2 Water resources potential in each water resources
It might be advantageous for water users to develop surface region (MCM/year)
water, if it is sufficiently available in quality and quantity. Surface Water
Especially in case of large-scale municipal, industrial and Ground Total Potential
irrigation water supply, development of surface water is WRR Probability
water
preferred than groundwater due to its lower cost. On 50% 80% 50% 80%
quality (suitable as drinking water) groundwater is better
than surface water and it is distributed more widely in (1) (2) (3) (1) + (2) (1) + (3)
populated area. I 1,248 10,100 3,250 11,348 4,498

From the 2012 water rights granted by NWRB, the irrigation II 2,825 16,800 8,510 19,625 11,335
water use reaches to 66,979.33 MCM/year which is 80.43%
III 1,721 10,800 7,890 12,521 9,611
of the total water amount granted water rights for
consumptive uses. Majority of this sector utilizes surface IV 1,410 19,700 6,370 21,110 7,780
water.
V 1,085 9,960 3,060 11,045 4,145
Municipal and industrial use is only 17.65% of the total VI 1,144 19,500 14,200 20,644 15,344
water right grants. Seventy percent (70%) of municipal
water use utilized groundwater while the remaining 30% VII 879 3,770 2,060 4,649 2,939
used surface water. VIII 2,557 15,900 9,350 18,457 11,907

Majority of the sources of industrial water use are surface IX 1,082 16,200 12,100 17,282 13,182
water which accounts for 94% of the total amount X 2,116 42,100 29,000 44,216 31,116
granted for industrial use. In WRR VI, X,XI, and XII a
large proportion of the industrial surface water granted is XI 2,375 16,300 11,300 18,675 13,675
used for mining including refinery, milling and XII 1,758 25,100 18,700 26,858 20,458
manufacturing.
Total 20,200 206,230 125,790 226,430 145,990
The projected water demands in year 2025 were compared Source: Master Plan Study on Water Resources Management
with the respective water resources potentials to examine the in the Philippines, 1998
water demand and supply balances in each region. The
results are shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 4 shows that there is a notable water deficit in Regions
III, IV and VII where the calculated water resources
potential has been exceeded by the 2012 water demand.
On the other hand, the 2025 demand projection has also
been exceeded in Regions 1, III, IV, VII, VIII, X and XI.

4 WATER RESOURCES ISSUES AND CONCERNS

Fig. 4 Philippine water resources situation
The water resources potentials are assumed to be the sum of
the potentials of groundwater and surface water estimated at
80% and 50% probabilities of occurrence. The former
corresponds to the probability of hydrologic conditions,
based on which the maximum water resources development
Watershed management
Management of water is usually defined by the river basin or
watershed. Several landforms compose a watershed but
these landforms are altered by human activities that are
basically intended for development. In the course of these
developments watersheds are degraded compromising
quality and quantity of water.
The sustainability of the country’s water resources go far
beyond mere regulation of extracting water from various
sources. It is very much dependent on managing the entire
watershed. As such, the issue of degradation of our
watershed areas should be a primary concern to better
manage our water resources. It will require a holistic,

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inter-sectoral, and inter-disciplinary approach to plan for and
manage our water resources. To this end, the integrated
water resources management (IWRM) using the river basin
or the watershed as the planning unit is the identified
strategy for the water resources sector in the Philippine
Development Plan 2011-2016.
Water Stress and Potential Water Scarcity
NWRB estimates the country’s dependable surface water
supply at 206,230 m3/year and 125,790 m3/year for
probabilities of 50 percent and 80 percent, respectively.
The total available groundwater supply is estimated at
20,200 m3/year. Hence, the country has a total dependable
water supply of 145,900 m3/year if considering the 80
percent probability for surface water, or 226,430 m3/year
total mean supply. The estimated annual water use in the
Philippines accounts for only 12 percent of available water
supply.
These figures suggest the abundance of water in our country
and that there is no immediate need to conserve or limit the
use of water resources. However, per capita water
availability has been declining over the years due to
increased water demand arising from economic growth and
population increases and decreasing water supply associated
with degradation of watersheds in the country and the effects
of climate change. In addition, the aggregate data on the
availability of water supply do not consider spatial and
temporal variations across the different regions or provinces
of the country. True availability is dependent on time,
place, quality, and cost. Some regions and key urban centers
are already experiencing water stress. Some areas are subject
to devastating floods during the wet season while many
areas experience water shortages during the dry season.
As previously shown, there is a notable water deficit in
Regions III, IV and VII where the calculated water resources
potential has been exceeded by the 2012 water demand.
On the other hand, the 2025 demand projection has also
been exceeded in Regions I, III, IV, VII, VIII, X and XI.
Assuming a high economic growth scenario and without a
water resource development program in place, the
projections of water balances of major river basins show that
17 of the 20 major river basins will experience water
shortages by 2025. The river basins in Luzon will face the
most serious shortages by 2025.
The major demand for water resources come from highly
urbanized areas and serious problems are now being felt in
these areas. Based on the projected demand and current
exploitable groundwater sources, some key cities in the
country will need additional surface water sources in 2025.
The increasing demand for potable water especially in
urbanized areas has resulted in over extraction of our
groundwater resources that consequently resulted to saline
water intrusion in coastal areas and ground subsidence.
There is also the problem of groundwater pollution. The
1998 Master Plan Study on Water Resources Management
and Development show that, nine (9) major cities are in
most critical condition in terms of water supply and demand.
Metro Cebu, Bacolod City, Iloilo City, Davao City, Cagayan
De Oro City, Zamboanga City, Metro Manila, Baguio City
and Angeles City are found to have the most critical water
balance conditions.
Water Quality
Water quality standards for environmental water bodies are
regulated by the Department of Environment and Natural
Resources - Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-
EMB) and those for drinking water by the Department of
Health (DOH).
The Philippines Environment Monitor 2003 (World Bank,
2003) collated a Water Quality Scorecard for both surface
water (rivers, lakes, and bays) and groundwater sources.
Using data from DENR-EMB (2003) and Laguna Lake
Development Authority (1999), the surface water sources by
province were assessed using dissolved oxygen (DO) and
biological oxygen demand (BOD) as parameters. Results
indicate that only 36 percent of river sampling points have
been classified as Class AA or Class A (fit for public water
supply). Of these sampling points, only one percent falls
under Class AA, or those that require only disinfections to
meet the Philippine National Standards for Drinking Water
(PNSDW). The rest of the sampling points (35%) fall
under Class A. These require complete treatment to meet the
PNSDW. This indicates that only about a third of river
surface water areas are potential for drinking water sources
and most of them require complete treatment to pass
drinking water standards.
Groundwater quality was assessed based on total dissolved
solids (TDS) and coliform. Preliminary data from the
NWRB-National Water Information Network project and
Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) indicate that
up to 58 percent of groundwater sample intended for
drinking water supplies are contaminated with total coliform
and would need treatment. Contaminated drinking water is
one of the most prevalent causes of water-borne diseases
such as diarrhea, cholera, typhoid and paratyphoid. Data
from the National Epidemiology Center of DOH indicate
that 31 percent of the reported illnesses from 1996 to 2000
are water-related diseases.
Equity and Sustainability Issues on Water Supply
The Philippine Development Plan 2011-2016 indicated that
limited access to safe drinking water remains to be an issue
for water supply. As noted by World Bank (2005), there is a
notable decrease in access to improved water services from
the late 1990s to 2002. The 2010 Report of the WHO/
UNICEF Joint Monitoring Program on the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs) observed minimal increases in
coverage over the past two decades, particularly in urban
areas. A wide disparity in coverage between urban and rural
areas and the broad inequity of access even among rural
areas were also reported. In spite of these, the government’s
commitment to attain the MDG of halving the number of
5
people without access to water and sanitation by 2015 is in
progress.
Accordingly, the low investment levels and lack of financing
for waterless areas are also growing concerns. This may be
attributed to the lack of a single regulator in the water sector
who can adopt policies on effective tariff methodology and
thereby make funds for new capital expenditures.
Degradation of Major Ecosystems
The present status of coastal ecosystems in the country is a
cause for alarm as assessed in the Philippine Summary
Report in 2005. Consequently, almost all Philippine coral
reefs are at risk due to the impact of human activities; only 4
to 5 percent remain in excellent condition. More than 70
percent of the nation’s mangrove forests have been
converted to aquaculture, logged, or reclaimed for other uses.
Half of the seagrass beds have either been lost or severely
degraded, and the rate of degradation is increasing. Beaches
and foreshore areas are under increasing pressures from
rapid population growth and uncontrolled development,
which in turn leads to erosion, sedimentation and water
quality problems.
The mentioned environmental degradations have significant
economic costs. The economic loss of over-fishing is
estimated at about P6.5 billion ($125 million) per year in
lost fish catch. Red tides, which are harmful algal blooms
largely caused by increasing pollution loads, produced
yearly losses in exports of around P1.6 billion ($30 million)
during the 1990s. The human toll also is significant:
Premature deaths among the working population due to
water pollution in Manila Bay (harmful algal bloom) have
an immeasurable human impact and are estimated to cause
productivity loss of P310 million annually ($6 million).
The summary also reported that about 140 priority
watersheds with a total area of 4.5 million hectares
nationwide need to be protected and/or rehabilitated.
Deforestation remains an environmental challenge in the
country. It was reported that of the country’s total forestland
areas of 15.88 M ha, only 5.4 M has. are covered with
forests and fewer than a million hectares of these are left
with old growth forests. These of course have intervened
with the hydrological conditions of the watersheds resulting
to soil erosion, siltation of rivers and reservoirs, increased
incidence and severity of flooding and decreasing water
supply.
Extreme Climate Events
The Third Assessment Report of Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change (IPCC) as cited by Greenpeace in 2005
indicated that extreme climate events/variability, such as,
floods, droughts, forest fires, and tropical cyclones have
increased in temperate and tropical Asia. The warm episodes
of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomena
have been more frequent, persistent and intense since the
mid-1970s, compared with the previous 100 years. This
IPCC finding has manifested itself in the Philippines through
the more frequent occurrence of severe El Niño and La Niña
events, as well as, deadly and damaging typhoons and other
severe storms; floods, flash floods, landslides, drought,
forest fires, etc.
5 WATER GOVERNANCE AND REGULATION
Legal Framework
Fundamental principles and policies on water resources
development and management are embodied in a number of
laws.
The Philippine Constitution (1987) provides the national
policy on water, as a natural resource, that all waters belong
to the State and the development and utilization shall be for
the citizens of the Philippines or to corporations at least 60%
capital of which is owned by such citizens, It also provides
that the beneficial use is the limit of rights to the use of
waters.
Presidential Decree 1067 or the Water Code of the
Philippines (1976) consolidated the laws governing the
ownership, appropriation, utilization, exploitation,
development, conservation and protection of water resources.
It reiterates that all waters belong to the State and cannot be
the subject of acquisitive prescription. The State may allow
the use or the development of waters by administrative
concession, while the preference in the use and development
of water shall consider current usages and be responsive to
the changing needs of the country. It also reiterates that the
measure and limit of appropriation of water shall be
beneficial use, which is defined as the utilization of water in
the right amount during the period that the water is needed
for producing the benefits for which the water is
appropriated.
Presidential Decree No. 424 (1974) created the National
Water Resources Council (NWRC) which was renamed
National Water Resources Board (NWRB) in 1987 through
Executive Order 124-A. It has the power to coordinate and
integrate water resources development and management
activities.
Executive Order No. 192 (1987) provides the Department of
Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) the mandate
for the conservation, management , development and proper
use of the country’s environment and natural resources,
specially forest and grazing lands, mineral resources,
including those in reservation and watershed areas, and
lands of the public domain, as well as the licensing and
regulation of all natural resources as may be provided by law
in order to ensure equitable sharing of benefits derived there
from for the welfare of the present and future generation.
The Environmental Code of 1977 prescribes, among other
things, the management guidelines aimed to protect and
improve the quality of water resources through: (a)
classification of surface waters, and (b) establishment of
6
water quality
The Local Government Code of 1991 provides the
empowerment of local executives in the delivery of basic
services which includes water supply and sanitation services.
Republic Act No. 9275 otherwise known as the Clean Water
Act (2004) shall apply to water quality management in all
water bodies in the abatement and control of pollution from
the land based sources. The water quality standards and
regulations shall be enforced irrespective of sources of
pollution. The act also provides that the DENR in
coordination with the NWRB shall designate certain areas as
water quality management areas using appropriate
physiographic units such as watersheds, river basins or water
resources regions.
Institutional Framework
In the Philippines, water management involves a two-tiered
system of governance – national and local. Water resource
governance is a responsibility of multiple national agencies
in varying capacities. Local Government Units (LGUs)
and local water districts also exercise certain powers but
subject to national government decisions. Non-
Government Organization intervention has also been
emerging. The Philippine Watershed Management Coalition
is an example, which advocates the use of watershed based
approach in water resources management, and the Philippine
Water Partnership, among others, aim to gather various
stakeholders to work toward an integrated water resource
management strategy.
There are some 30 government agencies and offices
concerned with water resources development and
management responsible with their own sectoral concerns.
These agencies deal with water supply, irrigation,
hydropower, flood control, water management, and other
water-related concerns. For administrative supervision, these
agencies are distributed among executive departments of the
national government.
The overall responsibility for coordination of water
resources development and management in the Philippines is
vested in the NWRB. Created in 1974, its basic mandate is
to administer and enforce the Water Code. Apart from
resource regulation, it is also does economic regulation as it
regulates the operations of privately-owned water utilities
(i.e. subdivision water systems). It is also responsible for the
formulation and development of policies in water resources
management.
Water resources planning is shared by the National
Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), NWRB and
inter-agency committees. NEDA formulates the national
policies and strategies including those on the water resources
sector. The NWRB recommends to NEDA suitable action
plans to address emerging issues in the water resources
sector as they evolve while coordinating committees are
established to align development of water resources with the
national strategies and fiscal direction of the government.
Water resources assessment is a complementary effort of
NWRB, Bureau of Research and Standards, Metropolitan
Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS), Philippine
Atmospheric, Geophysical, Astronomical Services
Administration, LWUA and National Power Corporation
(NPC). These agencies are responsible for the collecting
evaluation and assessment of groundwater and streamflow
data.
Water quality and sanitation is a collaborative undertaking of
DOH, EMB, and Environmental Health Service (EHS) with
support provided by LWUA and the MWSS concessionaires
(Maynilad Water Services Inc. and Manila Water Company
Inc.) . EMB monitors quality of surface water. The DOH
through its Bureau of Research and Laboratories (BRL)
monitors quality of drinking water. Whereas EHS, another
unit of DOH develop sanitation programs and strategies to
address environmentally related diseases. MWCI and
MWSI monitor water quality of water supplied by the water
districts to their customers.
Watershed management is led by DENR and assisted by the
National Irrigation Administration (NIA), Bureau of Soils
and Water Management (BSWM), NPC and the water
districts. DENR formulates and recommend policies and
programs to effectively nurture, protect, develop, manage
and conserve forest lands and watersheds. NIA, NPC and the
water districts are guided by DENR policies and collaborate
with the latter to protect and preserve the watershed area in
their respective areas of responsibility. On the other hand,
the BSWM remains responsible for the assessment,
development and preservation of existing and potential soil
and water resources for agriculture.
Based on the Local Government Code (LGC), the LGUs can
also perform watershed management functions but are
subject to DENR supervision and control. Provinces and
municipalities implement community-based forest
management, social forestry, and watershed projects, but the
barangay’s role depends on the discretion of LGU executives.
LGUs are likewise empowered to implement Level I to
Level III water supply subsystems, communal irrigation
systems and local flood control projects.
6 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
From the 2012 water rights granted by NWRB, the irrigation
water use reached 66,979.33 MCM/year which is 80.43% of
the total water amount granted for consumptive uses.
Majority of this sector utilizes surface water.
Municipal and industrial use are only 17.65% of the total
water right grants. Seventy percent (70%) of municipal
water use utilized groundwater while the remaining 30%
used surface water.
There is notable water deficit in Regions III, IV and VII
where the calculated water resources potential has been
7
exceeded by the 2012 water demand. On the other hand,
the 2025 demand projection has also been exceeded in
Regions 1, III, IV, VII, VIII, X and XI.
Based on the projected demand and current exploitable
groundwater sources, some key cities in the country will
need additional surface water sources in 2025. Based on
the 1998 Master Plan Study on Water Resources
Management and Development, nine (9) major cities are
identified as water stressed in terms of water supply and
demand. Metro Cebu, Bacolod City, Iloilo City, Davao City,
Cagayan De Oro City, Zamboanga City, Metro Manila,
Baguio City and Angeles City are found to have the most
critical water balance conditions.
Based on the issues and concerns, the following
recommendations are formulated:
a) Practice of Integrated Water Resources Management
(IWRM) in the water sector to address fragmentation.
IWRM promotes the coordinated development and
management of water, land and related resources in order to
maximize the resultant economic and social welfare in an
equitable manner without compromising the sustainability of
vital ecosystems. This can be implemented through the
river basin or watershed as planning unit considering water
cuts across political boundaries. The different uses and
users of water need to consider the physical and biological
make-up of the watershed or river basin. Water must be
managed within the natural constraints of the hydrologic
cycle and the natural ecosystems to provide for all societal
needs. Development activities need to be viewed within a
constrained optimization framework, taking into
consideration the maintenance and the preservation of our
ecosystem and sustainable use of natural resources,
particularly our water resources.
b) Work towards a lead agency for the water sector
A lead agency for the entire water sector should be
ultimately developed. The lead agency should be able to
assume the functions of policy making, coordination, and
resource regulation for the sector. It shall be provided with
sufficient capacity and authority to implement key policies,
plans, and projects in the water resources sector. In the
meantime, NWRB should be strengthened so it can continue
its function as the sector’s overall economic and resource
regulator.
c) Rationalize financing in the water sector to fulfil MDG
commitments
The low level of investments in the water supply and
sanitation sector hinder the achievement of the MDGs of the
sector. The lack of a coherent financing framework must be
addressed by rationalizing financing in the water sector to
make the fullest use of limited public funds and encourage
concessional financing, and private sector investments.
The LGUs and water service providers should be assisted in
developing relevant, practical, and up-to-date management
tools that support integrated water resources management
and technologies. Service providers should likewise be
capacitated in plan development, budgeting and operations,
among others, in order to improve coverage, efficiency and
sustainability of infrastructure.
d) Establish a sustainable water information management
system
There should be an organized and systematic information
management system in the water sector especially with the
current set-up of fragmentations. Available data that are
regularly updated must be shared within the sector to
support planning of future projects. Such data should be
accessible to stakeholders, project developers and policy-
makers.
e) Promote water-efficient strategies
Over-extraction that results to declining water levels and
water quality degradation due to pollution reduces the
amount of available groundwater. Available water supplies,
particularly from groundwater sources are under pressure as
reflected in the projected deficits in 2025 with nine (9) cities
already experiencing water stress. It this therefore essential
to maximize our existing water supplies through the
reduction of water use and the utilization of improved
technology and systems for water efficiency, re-use and
recycling.
f) Adopt economic pricing of raw water
Irrigation is the largest user of water in the country. Payment
for irrigation water is based on a per-hectare basis but the
actual water consumption is not regulated. There is currently
no incentive to conserve irrigation water. Subsidies disguise
the true cost of providing irrigation services. In order to
promote conservation and the sustainable use, treating water
as an economic good provides the basis for putting into
place mechanisms that capture its economic value since
water is finite and limited.
g) Implement strategies to raise awareness on climate
change impacts and mitigation/adaptation technologies
Recognized as number three globally in terms of
vulnerability to disasters such as typhoons, floods, droughts
and landslides, the Philippines requires structural and non-
structural mitigating measures and promotion of awareness
on climate change and its impacts on water resources. Also,
there is a need to consider effects of these disasters in
planning future development.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The authors wish to thank colleagues from the National
Water Resources Board who have shared valuable inputs in
8
this paper.

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