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Lack of effective water resources management: Sen. Grace Poe says the root of water crisis in the Philippines is not the lack of resources but a lack of regulation and effective management. “We have abundant water sources: 421 river basins; 59 natural lakes; 100,000 hectares of freshwater swamps; 50,000 square kilometers of groundwater reservoir; and 2,400 millimeters of average rainfall throughout the year,” Poe said as she presided over the Committee on Public Services hearing Tuesday, May 7, 2024. “Through this, because of all our problems, we shall create a Department of Water Resources that reflects the obligation to sustainably utilize our resources, the needs of our growing population, and our collective goal to ensure water security for all,” she added. According to Poe, as of today, 131 cities and municipalities from Ilocos Norte down to Cotabato have suffered immense water shortage and declared a state of calamity, and based on the Office of Civil Defense (ODC) data, P4 billion damage to agriculture was recorded due to drought. (Bibo Nueva España/Senate PRIB)