The Philippine Star reports that President Aquino said that he would study a proposal from Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) secretary Rogelio Singson to create a body to manage all natural water resources in the Philippines.
“I have always believed that my job as Chief Executive requires the efficient allocation of resources. After giving much thought to the problems of our water sector, it was apparent to me that we needed to approach our water resources from a holistic point of view and a unified mindset. We had to leave behind the confusion of the past – with over 30 different water-related agencies with overlapping mandates. So, I created an Inter-Agency Committee on the Water Sector, headed by DPWH secretary Singson, to create a comprehensive master plan for our water sector,” Aquino said.
The President said he could not think of a better host and better model than the Iloilo City government as the work they had poured into restoring and protecting the Iloilo River was impressive: from dredging operations, to planting mangroves and conducting cleanup drives, to institutionalizing the Iloilo River Development Council.
He also inaugurated the Iloilo River Esplanade, a testament to the importance Iloilo was giving to its resources.
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Dredging Today Staff, June 4, 2012;