President Rodrigo Duterte has approved in principle a draft executive order that will ensure water supply in the country, an official said.

This as Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles told reporters Monday night that the Palace might include on its priority measures the passage of the Department of Water.

"That (EO) has to pass through vetting. But in principle, the President has already approved it during the last Cabinet meeting," he said.

The draft EO, which provides for the master plan on water security, is now with the Office of the Executive Secretary, he added.

"So basically we want to create a master plan in terms of managing our water resources. But in order to create a master plan, we have to get everybody, all the water sector bodies, offices, agencies, and departments, get together, coordinate with each other. The best thing to do that is to put them under the Office of the President, so pending Congress passing the Department of Water, this is the fastest way that we can resolve all our water resource issues and concerns," Nograles explained.

The proposed EO was made after the water shortage that hit some parts of Metro Manila last month.

Nograles said the proposal to create the Department of Water could be included in the list of priority measures that would be discussed by the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council.

"I think we have to (include it in the LEDAC) because of the fragmented approach that we have because the EO that we're preparing can be superseded and amended by the next administration," he said.

LEDAC whose members are from the executive and legislative branches of government, with the president as the head, convenes once in a while to discuss the priority bills of the administration.

Nograles said the next administration might cancel the EO providing the master plan for water security even if it is good, thus, the need to pass a law.

"But with the Department of Water, you have to pass through Congress. So ideally it has to be institutionalized through the Department of Water," he said.

He expressed hope both Houses of Congress would support the creation of the new department.

Nograles also said he was appointed by the President as the acting chair of the National Irrigation Administration, representing him. Celerina Monte/DMS