IEC REPORT

NWRB: Nangangalaga ng Water Resources

ng Bansa

An Information Campaign May 3–4, 2018

Casa Nicolasa, San Fernando, Pampanga

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BACKGROUND

The Information, Education and Communication (IEC) Campaign entitled “NWRB:

Nangangalaga ng Water Resources ng Bansa An Information Campaign” that was

organized by the National Water Resources Board (NWRB) in collaboration with

Balibago Waterworks Systems, Inc. (BWSI) was held on May 3-4, 2018 at Casa Nicolasa,

San Fernando, Pampanga.

The conduct of the IEC was in response to the request of the management of BWSI to

orient its staff on the policies of NWRB to ensure adherence to the institutional and

regulatory requirements mandated to the company by NWRB. This is in the light of the

company’s intensifying and continued economic growth as it move towards acquiring

new additional franchises from its current 58 branches in Luzon, to saturate the Visayas

and Mindanao regions in lieu of its intention to provide clean, potable and reliable water

supply in these areas.

ATTENDANCE

A total of 41 staff attended the IEC campaign. These are the Branch Managers, Area

Managers and Management Committee members of BWSI Group of Companies from

its various branches in the provinces of Pampanga, Bulacan, Nueva Viscaya, Benguet,

La Union, Ilocos Sur, Iloilo, Batangas, Laguna, Aurora and Tarlac. Also in attendance

are the resource speakers and secretariat staff from the NWRB. List of participants is

attached as Annex A.

PROGRAM

The program of the IEC campaign is attached as Annex B. Ms. Vilma A. Vergara,

Executive Assistant of the Office of the NWRB Executive Director served as emcee of

the IEC campaign.

Administration of Pre-Test

A Pre-test was administered among participants before the start of the program to

measure the level of participants’ knowledge on the subject. A sample of the pre-rest

questionnaire is attached as Annex C.

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HIGHLIGHTS

DAY 1: March 19, 2018

Opening Ceremonies

The opening preliminaries consisted of the opening ceremonies and the message from the

organizer of the IEC campaign.

The opening ceremonies started with an invocation followed by the singing of the

Philippine National Anthem.

Senior Vice President Criselle Panlilio-Alejandro of BWSI

delivered the welcome address. She welcomed the resource

speakers from the NWRB in their ancestral home called Casa

Nicolasa which is the venue of the seminar. She informed that

his father, Mr. Panlilio, President of BWSI is very proud of his

heritage in the house for their great grandmother, Nicolasa has

been recognized as one of the war kind heroes, being one of the

Filipinas who was very active during the Philippine-American

war.

She informed that the seminar was intended to abreast the BWSI Managers and ManCom

members of the documentary water permit requirements to facilitate their compliance and

filing of water permit applications (WPA) and to enhance their knowledge on the policies

and other functions of NWRB as a regulator, apart from the issuance of water permits

and Certificate of Public Convenience. She wished everyone to be alive and awake to be

able to listen to the different presentations.

Presentation Proper

TOPIC: NWRB’s Mandate as Regulatory and Coordinating Body in the Water Sector

Ms. Heleena Claire Pasumbal-Espina, Head of the Water Resources Information

Section, Policy and Program Division (PPD) presented the role of NWRB in the water

sector, issues and concerns as well as the programs and

activities undertaken by NWRB.

She explained that the NWRB as the national coordinating

and regulating agency on water resources management and

development activities in the water sector undertakes policy

formulation and coordination; resource regulation; and

economic regulation. Its vision is sustainable water for a

healthy nation.

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She discussed the different NWRB programs and activities on the enhancement of

resource and economic regulation as well as the enhancement of science-based decision

support tools towards improved regulation of water use through water resources studies.

The Powerpoint presentation is attached as Annex D.

TOPIC: The Water Code of the Philippines

Atty. Margret Bayhon, Attorney IV of the Water Rights Division (WRD) gave an

overview on the Water Code of the Philippines or PD 1067

which consolidates the laws governing the ownership,

appropriation, utilization, exploitation, development,

conservation and protection of water resources.

She explained that the administrative and enforcement

provisions of the Code including the granting of permits and the

imposition of penalties for administrative violations are vested

in the NWRB. The five underlying principles of the Code are

as follows:

a. All waters belong to the State.

b. All waters that belong to the State cannot be the subject of acquisitive prescription.

c. The State may allow the use or development of waters by administrative concession.

d. The utilization, exploitation, development, conservation and protection of water

resources shall be subject to the control and regulation of the government through

the NWRB.

e. Preference in the use and development of waters shall consider current usages and

be responsive to the changing needs of the country.

She emphasized though that while water cannot be appropriated without a water permit

issued by NWRB, exceptions are the appropriation of water by means of hand-carried

receptacles and using natural bodies of water for bathing or washing, watering or dipping

of domestic farm animals, navigation for water crafts or transportation of logs and other

objects of flotation.

She also discussed the grounds for suspension/revocation/cancellation of the water permit,

penal provisions and conflicts resolution. The Board has exclusive original jurisdiction

relative to the resolution of conflicts on water use and appeals to the NWRB decisions can

only be filed with the Court of Appeals.

The Powerpoint presentations are attached as Annex E.

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TOPIC: NWRB Water Permit (WP) Requirements and Processing, Fees &

Charges

Engr. Arlene Diaz, Engineer III of the Evaluation Section

of WRD tackled the requirements and processing of water

permit applications (WPAs) as well as the various fees and

charges being imposed by NWRB.

As the NWRB regulates water resources through the

issuance of a water permit, she discussed the different uses

for which water may be appropriated, instances when

permit/authority must be secured from the NWRB,

qualifications of applicants for permit/authority, documentary requirements for WPA,

requirements for water use registration, processing flow chart, water permit conditions

and grounds for revocation/cancellation of water permit. She discussed in detail the

procedure and processing period for a WPA with and without a protest.

She informed that a Conditional Water Permit (CWP) is being issued prior to the issuance

of the water permit which is valid for one year but can be extended upon request.

However, non-compliance with the conditions cited in the CWP within the one-year

period, unless extension has been requested, shall automatically render the CWP

cancelled/revoked.

She emphasized that single family households for domestic use does not require a water

permit from the NWRB but merely registration of the well. She clarified that the single

family household use is for six (6) persons only.

The conditions and grounds for revocation/cancellation of the WP were also cited as well

as the various fees and charges being imposed by NWRB effective November 11, 2015

as per Board Resolution No. 03-0715.

The Powerpoint presentations are attached as Annex F.

Open Forum

The open forum was the venue for the participants to raise questions and further

clarification on the matters discussed during the presentations. The queries raised were

the following:

Are appropriation and allocation the same?

Does appropriation change over time?

Is a water permit needed for shallow wells?

Considering the hierarchy of domestic use over other uses, how come there is a

situation where an application for domestic use will be denied?

Can cancelation of a water permit due to none-use be initiated in an instance

where there is a water permit applicant from the same source?

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Given a situation where a current holder of a water permit which is not being

used applies for its cancellation, can other party apply for that same source

under the cancelled water permit?

Will the party who initiated a cancellation of a water permit due to none-use be

given priority over the source in the cancelled water permit once it files for a

WPA?

How important is the coordinates in the determination of available water from

a given source, may it be groundwater or surface water?

How water below the river bed is considered?

Can private water service providers with a given CPC on a defined area protest

the drilling of well by none-customers?

How is the granted discharge evaluated?

Can the applied discharge in a WPA be based on the projected population to be

served in the next 10-25 years?

In the case of an opposition on a WPA filed where a protest letter is filed but

with no payment of protest fee, will the NWRB proceed with the evaluation of

the application?

Is the ECC already needed upon filing of the WPA for municipal use (Level III

water systems)?

Can the Certificate of Potability be secured only from where the test is done?

Is it still necessary to pay the annual water charge even if the well is not being

used?

In a situation where the reason for none-use of well is the drying up of the well

(force majeure), is it okay if the owner does not want to have the water permit

cancelled in the hope that it would be able to recover?

DAY 2: May 4, 2018

TOPIC: NWRB Economic Regulatory Framework

Ms. Belen Juarez, Head of the Registration and Licensing

Section of the Water Utilities Division (WUD) discussed the

mandates of NWRB relative to the power to control, regulate

and supervise waterworks system. Basically the economic

regulation function of NWRB includes the granting of

Certificate of Public Convenience (CPCs), renewal of CPCs,

monitoring compliance of CPC grantees and adjudication and

resolution of cases.

She explained the qualifications of applicants for CPC, documentary requirements, CPC and

tariff approval process, NWRB Standard Rules and Regulations in the waterworks operation

and reportorial obligations for the monitoring of compliance and performance of CPC

grantees. She emphasized that NWRB, as an economic regulator of private water utilities

outside the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) and

Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA), issues Certificate of Public

Convenience/Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPC/CPCN) and sets water

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tariffs of private water service providers. The mandates of NWRB on economic regulation

is an inherited function from the Public Service Commission anchored on the

Commonwealth Act No. 146 or the “Public Service Law”.

She emphasized that in the operation of a waterworks system, two permits are necessary,

namely the water permit and the CPC, thereby two charges are also imposed, the AWC and

the Supervision Regulation Fee (SRF). However, in the case of water utilities without a water

source of their own and would procure water by bulk from other water utility operators, such

as water districts for distribution to their customers, a water permit is no longer necessary

but a CPC has to be secured for its operation and distribution of water.

She noted that the processing of the CPC application takes at least six (6) months for

applications without oppositors. In the financial evaluation of the tariff proposal, NWRB

observes the affordability criteria where the minimum charge should not exceed five (5%)

percent of the family income of the low income group in the municipality where the water

utility operates and the maximum return on investment should be 12%.

She also gave a brief overview of the Listahang Tubig database which is a is a national survey

of all water service providers covering all service levels - Level I or point source, Level II or

communal faucets, and Level III or piped connections. Information on the water utilities as

to their location, level of service and management model may be accessed at its official

website at listahangtubig.cloudapp.net.

The Powerpoint presentation is attached as Annex G.

Open Forum

The queries raised during the open forum were as follows:

What is the basis for tariff-setting in the case of bulk water supply?

Can a CPC still be issued to another water utility that is within the franchise area

of a water district?

Will a filing of an application for an extension of service entail another CPC with

a different expiration date?

Have there been a case where a CPC grantee applying for renewal of CPC has

complied with the minimum service standards and there is an oppositor who is

looking for the ideal situation which is beyond the minimum standards such that

the CPC has not been renewed?

Given a situation where there are three (3) villages in one area and where the status

of the CPC of these villages are as follows:

Village 1: approved CPC has expired;

Village 2: CPC has been approved recently; and

Village 3: for application of CPC

Can the CPC of Village 2 be used for Villages 1 and 3?

Can one CPC be applied for subdivisions that are adjacent and where the water

systems are interconnected?

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How will NWRB evaluate an application for a CPC in a big subdivision divided

into two phases operated by a single entity but under different tariff structures with

one interconnected network?

TOPIC: NWRB’s Monitoring & Enforcement Procedures

Engr. Jose Beltran, Head of the Enforcement Section of the Monitoring and Enforcement

Division (MED), presented the monitoring and enforcement

procedures being adopted by the NWRB as the administrator

of the provisions of the Water Code on water permittees, CPC

grantees and illegal water users. Specifically, these are

activities relative to the monitoring of compliance of a)

grantees of water rights to the conditions stipulated in the CWP

and water permit; and b) CPC grantees to the modified standard

rules and regulations in the operation of waterworks system as

well as enforcement of orders/decisions issued by the Board

such as show cause order, cease and desist order (CDO) and closure & sealing order. He

also showed the methods/instruments used in the conduct of actual discharge measurements

on water users’ sources, different NWRB forms used for monitoring and pictures on the

actual sealing of deepwell sources.

The requirements for the registration of well drillers were likewise discussed.

The Powerpoint presentation is attached as Annex H.

Open Forum

The issues/queries raised during the open forum were as follows:

Given a situation where a private company has taken over a resort where its

deepwell has been sealed, what should be done to be able to use the well?

If a well has been sealed due to none-use, shall the entity that took over assume

the payment of the arrears in annual water charge in order to be able to use the

well?

Does shallow well drillers need to be registered with NWRB?

Administration of Post-Test

A Post-test was administered among participants to measure the learnings gained by the

participants’ on the topics discussed. The result of the Pre-test and Post Test of the

participants who were able to take both tests are tabulated in Annex I.

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Closing Remarks

Engr. Ponciano Cruz, Vice-President for Engineering of BWSI delivered the closing

remarks. He thanked the resources speakers from NWRB for

sharing their knowledge to the officials of BWSI and who are

truly experts in their field. He appreciated all the topics

presented which are very well related to the needs of BWSI

in its operational activities and discussion was in detailed and

not general. With all the learnings gained from the discussion

and questions raised, he hoped BWSI would be able to have

a joint venture in the future with the water district as

competition is very stiff in securing a franchise in the water

industry.

He expressed his desire to be able to repeat the experience to the rest of the managers of

BWSI since the participants represented only less than half of the total management staff.

He assured that these staff would be willing to listen to the resource speakers in future

sessions of the same nature. The BWSI would continually coordinate with NWRB for all

its needs.

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Annex A

LIST OF PARTICIPANTS

PARTICIPANT

Senior Vice President

Area Manager (3)

Area Manager Trainee (4)

Assistant Branch Manager

Branch Engineer (16)

Branch Manager Trainee (8)

Company Dept. Engr.

CorPlan Manager

Executive Manager

HR Associate

HWRI-Legal Department (2)

Training & Development Manager

VP for Engineering

Senior Vice President

Area Manager (3)

Area Manager Trainee (4)

Assistant Branch Manager

Branch Engineer (16)

Branch Manager Trainee (8)

Company Dept. Engr.

CorPlan Manager

Executive Manager

HR Associate

HWRI-Legal Department (2)

Training & Development Manager

VP for Engineering

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Annex B

NWRB: Nangangalaga ng Water Resources ng Bansa

An Information Campaign May 3–4, 2018

PROGRAM

Day 1

TIME ACTIVITIES RESOURCE PERSONS

9:00 am Registration Secretariat

9:30 Opening Ceremonies Invocation, National Anthem

Acknowledgement of Participants

10:00 Welcome Remarks Balibago Waterworks Inc.

10:30 Program Orientation: Seminar Rationale and

Objectives, Schedule of Activities, Session Norms

and House Rules

Facilitator

10:45 NWRB’s Mandate as Regulatory and

Coordinating Body in the Water Sector

Ms. Heleena Claire T. Pasumbal –

Espina, Policy and Program Division,

NWRB

11:15 The Water Code of the Philippines Atty. Margret D. Bayhon, Water

Rights Division, NWRB

12:00 Lunch Break Facilitator

1:00 pm Photo Opportunity

1:30 pm Processing of Water Permit Application (WPA) Ms. Arlene Diaz, Water Rights

Division, NWRB

2:30 Open Forum Facilitator

3:30 Synthesis and Reminders for Day 2

4:00 End of Day 1

Day 2

TIME ACTIVITIES RESOURCE PERSONS

9:00 am Registration Secretariat

9:30 Recap Facilitator

10:00 Processing of Certificate of Public Convenience

(CPC)

Ms. Belen I. Juarez, Water Utilities

Division, NWRB

10:30 Open Forum Facilitator

11:00 NWRB’s Monitoring & Enforcement

Procedures, Penalties, Orders & Closure

Engr. Jose B. Beltran, Monitoring

and Enforcement Division, NWRB

11:30 Open Forum Facilitator

12:00 Closing Ceremonies/Closing Remarks Balibago Waterworks Inc.

12:30 Post-test

12:45 Lunch/End of Activity

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Annex C

NWRB: Nangangalaga ng Water Resources ng Bansa

An Information Campaign

PAUNANG PAGSUSULIT (PRE-TEST)

Pangalan: ___________________________

Opisina/Organisasyon:____________________

Posisyon: ___________________________

Petsa:__________________________________

Instruction: Bilugan ang tamang sagot.

1. Ano ang dalawang klasipikasyon ng yamang-tubig?

a. Dagat at ilog

b. Tubig sa ilalim ng lupa (groundwater) at tubig sa ibabaw ng lupa (surface water)

c. Tubig-tabang (freshwater) at tubig-alat (salt water)

2. Ano ang dalawang uri ng pinagmumulan ng tubig sa Pilipinas?

a. Dagat at ilog

b. Tubig sa ilalim ng lupa (groundwater) at tubig sa ibabaw ng lupa (surface water)

c. Tubig-tabang (freshwater) at tubig-alat (salt water)

3. Ilang bahagdan ng tubig-alat o salt water ang bumubuo sa yamang-tubig ng

daigdig?

a. 32%

b. 75%

c. 97%

4. Ang National Water Resources Board o NWRB ay isang sangay ng pamahalaan

na ______________.

a. nagbibigay ng pahintulot sa paggamit ng tubig.

b. namumuno sa wastong pangagalaga, paggamit, at pagkalinga ng mga yamang-

tubig ng bansa.

c. nagbibigay ng payo sa wastong paggamit at pagtitipid ng tubig.

d. Lahat ng nabanggit

5. May iba’t ibang gamit ang tubig gaya ng domestiko o pambahay, pang-munisipal,

irigasyon, pag-generate ng kuryente, pangingisda, pag-aalaga at pagpaparami ng

hayop, pang-industriya at panlibangan. Sa mga nabanggit, ano ang may

pinakamalaking bahagdan ng tubig na nagagamit?

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a. Irigasyon o Pang-agrikultura

b. Panlibangan

c. Pambahay

6. Sa Integrated Water Resources Management o IWRM, isinasa-alang-alang sa

pagpapaunlad at pangangasiwa ang mga _______________________.

a. Yamang-tubig

b. Yamang-lupa

c. Yamang-tubig at yamang-lupa

d. Yamang-tubig, yamang-lupa at iba pang likas-yamang kaugnay sa mga river basin

7. NWRB ang instrumento ng gobyerno upang pamahalaan ang yamang-tubig ng

Pilipinas sa pamamagitan ng pagbibigay ng Water Right o ang pribelehiyo upang

gamitin ang tubig. Ang dokumentong patunay na nabigyan ng Water Right ay

ang:

a. Water Permit Application Form

b. Water Permit

c. Conditional Water Permit

d. Certificate of Public Convenience

8. Ang domestiko o gamit pang-pamilya ng tubig na may hanggang anim na

miyembro ay kailangang ipa-rehistro sa NWRB. Tama o mali?

a. Tama

b. Mali

9. Ang lahat ng tubig na nasa teritoryo ng Pilipinas ay pagmamay-ari ng

___________.

a. Presidente ng Pilipinas

b. pamahalaan

c. mga tao

10. Kung magpaparehistro ng water source o mag-a-aplay ng Water Permit, sa aling

opisina ka maaaring pumunta?

a. DENR Regional Office

b. DPWH

c. NIA

d. NWRB

e. Lahat ng nabanggit

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Annex I

PHOTO DOCUMENTATION

The management staff of Balibago Waterworks Systems, Inc. (BWSI) register with the

Secretariat upon arrival at Casa Nicolasa in San Fernando, Pampanga for the two-day

“Information, Education and Communication (IEC) Campaign entitled “NWRB:

Nangangalaga ng Water Resources ng Bansa An Education Campaign” conducted

by the NWRB for BWSI.

Ms. Vilma A. Vergara, Executive Assistant of the Office of the NWRB Executive

Director serves as emcee during the IEC campaign.

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Senior Vice President Criselle Panlilio-Alejandro of BWSI explains the history of

the venue, Casa Nicolasa which is their family’s ancestral home and declared a

heritage house by the National Heritage Institute. The lady on the picture is their

great grandmother, Nicolasa who has been recognized as one of the war kind

heroes, being one of the Filipinas who was very active during the Philippine-

American war.

The BWSI staff forms a circle and played a game for the recap of learnings gained

from the first day’s session.

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The BWSI staff raise their questions specific to their current experiences in the

company’s operational activities during the open forum.

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Engr, Jesusa

The NWRB training team pose for a souvenir photo.

The BWSI staff with the NWRB training team pose for a souvenir photo.