Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila
NINETEENTH CONGRESS
 First Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. _______________
Introduced by ANG PROBINSYANO 
Party-List Representative Alfred Delos Santos
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Despite being acknowledged by the United Nations General Assembly
as a basic human right, the right to receive safe, affordable, and accessible
clean  water  still  remains  a  dream  in  the  Philippines.  Based  on  a  2019
publication by the World Health Organization,1 around 1 in 10 people in the
Philippines still do not have access to improved water sources. Likewise,
Water.Org,  a  global  non-profit  organization  reported  that  around  seven
million Filipinos use unimproved, unsafe, and unsustainable water sources,
and  that  more  than  twenty-four  million  Filipinos  do  not  have  access  to
improved sanitation.2
These  statistics  are  bothersome  not  only  because  the  number  of
Filipinos involved are high, but also because lack of access to clean water is
a public health issue. Without access to water, people cannot clean their
homes  and  surroundings,  and  neither  can  they  maintain  their  personal
hygiene. These in turn would lead to increased chances of acquiring and
transmitting diseases.
In response to the foregoing, this bill seeks to establish in every local
government unit (LGU) a communal potable water supply system, as well as
the improvement of existing water supply systems. Each LGU shall actively
support  and  coordinate  with  the  designated  lead  agencies  in  the
development of these communal potable water supply systems during the
three-year  program.  LGUs  shall  likewise  maintain  and  ensure  that  the
communal water supply systems remain operational for all generations to
come.
1 World Health Organization, Water shortage in the Philippines threatens sustainable development and
health,
 
https://www.who.int/philippines/news/feature-stories/detail/water-shortage-in-the-philippines-
threatens-sustainable-development-and-health. March 22, 2019.
2 Water.Org, Philippines Water and Sanitation Crisis, https://water.org/our-impact/philippines/. 
July 13, 2022
4:43 pm
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It is hoped that through this legislation we will see a future where no
Filipino would have to endure using and drinking unsafe water. A future
where no one is deprived of access to water. A future with better health and
wellness for all.
   ALFRED C. DELOS SANTOS
Representative, Ang Probinsyano
Partylist


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila
NINETEENTH CONGRESS
 First Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. _______________
Introduced by ANG PROBINSYANO 
Party-List Representative Alfred Delos Santos
AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AND CONSTRUCTION OF
POTABLE WATER SUPPLY SYSTEMS IN EVERY BARANGAY ALL
THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY WITHIN THREE YEARS
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the
Philippines in Congress assembled:
SECTION 1. Short Title. – This Act shall be known as the “Water for All
Act of 2022”
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. – The State shall adopt an integrated
and comprehensive approach in promoting the quality of health among all
Filipinos, through the adequate provisions of essential social services, such
as clean and potable water.
SECTION  3. Lead Agencies.  – The Department of Public Works and
Highways  (“DPWH”),  in  cooperation  with  the  Department  of  Interior  and
Local  Government  (“DILG”),  the  Department  of  Health  (“DOH”),  and  the
Department of Social Welfare and Development (“DSWD”), shall undertake a
three-year program for the development and construction of potable water
supply systems in every barangay throughout the country.
SECTION 4. Guidelines.  – The lead agencies concerned shall observe
the following guidelines in the development of the three-year program:
(a)Funds  provided  for  in  this  Act  shall  be  used  only  for  the
construction  of new potable water supply systems and/or  the
development  of  previously-constructed  potable  water  supply
system;
(b)Priority shall be given to the construction of communal water
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supply systems;
(c) The allocation of funds provided for in this Act must be equitably
distributed among all local government unit, giving priority to
those that lack access to cleans and potable water;
(d)In  all  phases  leading  to  the  development,  construction,  and
monitoring  of  water  supply  systems,  the  lead  agencies  shall
consider  the  best  practices  in  Water  Sanitation  and  Hygiene
(“WASH”)
(e)The  lead  agencies  in  coordination  with  the  local  government
units  concerned,  shall  consult  concerned  sectors  and
stakeholders in the development of the three-year program and
the implementation thereof;
(f) Other  factors,  such  as  economic,  social,  and  environmental
factors, shall be accounted for in the development of the three-
year program. 
SECTION 5. The Role of Local Government Units. – Local government
units shall participate in all phases leading to the development, construction,
and  monitoring  of  potable  water  supply  systems  in  their  respective
jurisdictions. The local government units concerned shall thereafter manage
and maintain the water supply systems constructed in accordance with this
Act
 
SECTION  6.  Appropriations.  –  The  sum  of  Fifty  Million  Pesos
(P50,000,000.00) is hereby appropriated for the initial implementation of the
provisions  of  this  Act.  Thereafter,  the  succeeding  appropriation  for  its
continued  implementation  shall  be  included  in  the  annual  General
Appropriations Act until the program shall have been completed.
SECTION 7. Separability Clause. – If any provision or part of this Act is
held invalid or unconstitutional, the remaining provisions or parts unaffected
shall remain in full force and effect.
SECTION 8. Repealing Clause. – All laws, executive orders, presidential
decrees or issuances, letters of instruction, administrative orders, rules, and
regulations contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are
hereby repealed, amended, or modified accordingly.
SECTION 9. Effectivity Clause. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15)
days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of
general circulation.


Approved,