MC Philippine Water Code Quiz

Salient Features of PD 1067 or The Water Code of the Philippines

• Water appropriated for a specific purpose needs council approval for a new use without prejudicing other permittees or increasing water volume.
• No person, including government entities, can appropriate water without a water permit.
• Certain activities like hand-carried water appropriation and bathing/washing do not require a water permit.
• Only Filipino citizens, legal age, and qualified juridical persons can apply for water permits.
• Water rights can be leased or transferred with council approval after due notice and hearing.
• The measure and limit of water appropriation should be for beneficial use.
• Preference in water resource development considers state security, multiple use, beneficial effects, adverse effects, and costs.
• Water from private canals, aqueducts, or reservoirs can be used for domestic or plant watering unless it causes loss or injury to the owner.
• Water permittees can convey water in watercourses for the permitted purpose and recapture it at another point.
• Reuse of wastewater should be limited to non-human consumption uses until it is proven safe for public health and safety.
• Construction and operation of hydraulic works should consider preserving scenic places and historical relics.
• Permits are required for various activities including construction of dams, development of hot springs, and inducing or restraining rainfall.

Water Code of the Philippines and the National Water Resources Board (NWRB)

• The National Water Resources Board (NWRB) holds policy-making, regulatory, and quasi-judicial responsibilities in the Philippines' water sector.
• The NWRB ensures the best exploitation, utilization, development, conservation, and protection of the nation’s water resources in line with Integrated Water Resource Management principles.
• The Water Code of the Philippines is designed to secure Philippine waters and maximize their usage for the benefit of the Filipino people.
• Under the 1987 Constitution, the national territory includes islands, waters, terrestrial, fluvial, and aerial domains, and internal waters, with sovereignty recognized up to 12 nautical miles from the shore.
• The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea recognizes sovereignty up to 12 nautical miles from the shore, with exceptions regarding a country’s sovereignty over bodies of water.
• The Water Code discusses ownership of bodies of water found on private land, facilitating planning for property owners and developers in the presence of bodies of water.
• The Water Code defines waters to include those under the ground, above the ground, in the atmosphere, and within the territorial jurisdiction of the Philippines.
• The Regalian Doctrine reserves ownership of minerals and natural resources for the State, as recognized in the Philippine constitution.
• The State owns rivers, natural beds, surface waters, atmospheric water, subterranean waters, seawater, and certain waters found on private lands.
• The Water Code allows appropriation and use of water for domestic, municipal, irrigation, power generation, fisheries, livestock raising, industrial, and recreational purposes.
• The marine and agricultural sectors significantly contribute to the Philippine economy, relying on bodies of water, which form a large part of the country due to its archipelagic nature.
• The State may declare waters exempt from appropriation for any or all purposes due to public policy reasons.