Quezon City
EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 3180

Introduced by Honorable ABRAHAM “BAMBOL” N. TOLENTINO

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Climate change affects the entire world in a number of ways. It brings rising sea
levels, intense heat waves, and rising temperatures. It is foreseen that climate change
will become worse in the decades to come and may bring devastating effects to
humanity if nothing is done.

One of the aspects of human life that will be most affected is water consumption
as there will be increased precipitation and declining water quality due to natural and
man-made factors, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists. This affects many
sectors such as health, agriculture, and energy production, among others. Even water
utilities in Asia, Europe, and Australia already anticipate this and are looking for
alternative ways as supplying water is energy intensive.

It is undeniable that the Philippines is already going through water shortages. As
a matter of fact, the Japan International Cooperation Agency, in cooperation with our
National Water Resources Board, has foreseen a national water crisis that will affect all
major cities in the Philippines by 2025. It is necessary, then, that a water research
commission is created to further study and assess the effects of climate change to the


water industry and what comprehensive adaptive strategies can be made. Hence, this
bill proposes an intensive research body on this area.

Water is needed in various aspects of life and access to clean and adequate
water is a basic human right. In light of this, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought.

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EIGHTEENTH Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

3.
HOUSE BILL NO. 20

Introduced by Honorable ABRAHAM N. TOLENTINO:

AN ACT COMMISSIONING A RESEARCH ON
CLIMATE CHANGE DRINKING WATER ADAPTATION

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in
Congress assembled:

Section 1. Jn General. - The Department of Science and Technology (DOST), in
cooperation with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR),
shall establish and provide funding for a program of directed and applied research
which will be conducted through a non-profit water research foundation. It will be
sponsored by drinking water utilities to assist suppliers of drinking water in adapting
to the effects of climate change.

Sec. 2. Research Areas. — All research conducted in accordance with this Act
shall include studies into:

1. Water quality impacts and solutions, including studies:

a. To address probable impacts on raw water quality resulting from:
i. Erosion and turbidity from extreme precipitation events;
ii, Watershed vegetation changes;
ili. Increasing ranges of pathogens, algae, and nuisance
organisms resulting from warmer temperatures; and
b. On mitigating increasing damage to watersheds and water quality by
evaluating extreme events, such as wildfires and hurricanes. To learn
and develop management approaches to mitigate:
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i. Permanent watershed damage;
ii, Quality and yield impacts on source waters; and
ili. Increased costs of water treatment;

2. Impacts on groundwater supplies from carbon sequestration, including
research to evaluate potential water quality consequences of carbon
sequestration in various regional aquifers, soil conditions, and mineral
deposits;

3. Water quantity impacts and solutions, including research:

a. To evaluate climate change impacts on water resources throughout
hydrological basins of the Philippines;

'b. To improve the accuracy and resolution of climate change models at
a regional level;

c. To identify and explore options for increasing conjunctive use of
aboveground and underground storage of water; and

d. To optimize operation of existing and new reservoirs in diminished
and erratic periods of precipitation and runoff;

4. Infrastructure impacts and solutions for water treatment facilities and
underground pipelines, including research:

a. To evaluate and mitigate the impacts of sea level rise on:

i. near-shore facilities;
ji. soil drying and subsidence;
ili. reduced flows in water and wastewater pipelines; and

b. On ways of increasing the resilience of existing infrastructure and
development of new design standard for future infrastructure;

5. Desalination, water reuse, and alternative supply technologies including
research:

a. To improve and optimize existing membrane technologies, and to
identify and develop breakthrough technologies, to enable the use of
seawater, brackish groundwater, treated wastewater, and other
impaired sources;

b. Into new sources of water through more cost-effective water
‘treatment practices in recycling and desalination; and

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more sustainability and means to assist drinking water utilities in reducing

the production of greenhouse gas emissions in the collection production,
transmission, treatment, distribution, and disposal of drinking water;
10. Water conservation and demand management, including research:
a. To develop strategic approaches to water demand management that
offer the lowest cost, non-infrastructural options to serve growing
populations or manage declining supplies, primarily through:

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Efficiencies in water use and reallocation of the saved water;
Demand management tools;

Economic incentives; and

Water-saving technologies; and

b. Into efficiencies in water management through integrated water
resource management that incorporates:

Supply-side and demand-side processes;

Continuous adaptive management; and

The inclusion of stakeholders in decision-making processes;
and

11. Communications, education, and public acceptance, including research:
a. Into improved strategies and approaches for communicating with
customers, decision makers, and other stakeholders about the
implications of climate change on water supply; and

b. To develop effective communication approaches to gain:

Public acceptance of alternative water supplies and new
policies and practices, including conservation and demand
management; and

Public recognition and acceptance of increased costs.

Sec. 3. Annual Reports. - The DOST shall submit reports on compliance with
this Act to the appropriate committees in the Senate and the House of
Representatives annually for the first two years after the date of effectivity of this
Act and once every three years thereafter.

Sec. 4. Appropriations. - The amount necessary for the initial implementation
of this Act shall be charged against the appropriations of the DOST under the

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current General Appropriations Act. Thereafter, such sum as may be necessary for
its full implementation shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act as
a distinct and separate item.

Sec. 5. Separability Clause. — If any provision of this Act is held invalid or
unconstitutional, the same shall not affect the validity and effectivity of the other
provisions thereof.

Sec. 6. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive
order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to or is
inconsistent with the provision of this Act is hereby repealed, modified, or amended
accordingly.

Sec. 7. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in the Official Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,