National Water Resources Board (NWRB) will hold a one-day consultation meeting on the proposed amendments to provisions of the Water Code of the Philippines and its implementing rules and regulations (IRR) today, November 10, 2004, at Ritz Tower , Real St., Tacloban City.

NWRB Executive Director Ramon B. Alikpala said the Tacloban consultation meeting is the sixth in a series of nationwide consultation which aims to provide a forum for information dissemination, discussions and dialogue prior to implementation of the amended IRR provisions.

Some of the proposed amendments include, among others, the simplified procedure in the processing if water permits applications; strict mentoring and enforcement of conditions of water permits and amended fees, charges and penalties.

Expected to attend the consultation meeting are representatives from water related government agencies, local government units, local water district, non-government organizations, the academe and the private sector from the provinces of Northern Leyte, Southern Leyte, Eastern Samar, Samar and Northern Samar.

The proposed amended IRR is one of the provisions of Executive Order No. 123 series of September 2002, which aims to strengthen NWRB in order to effectively implement and enforce the Water Code. NWRB is the government coordinating and regulatory agency fir all of the country’s water resources management and development activities.