A PARTY-LIST lawmaker has underscored the Philippines’ proactive role in shaping global responses to the most urgent development challenges of the 21st century.
FPJ Panday Bayanihan Representative Brian Poe took the initiative as represented the country at the 151st Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly, where he delivered interventions on climate resilience, food security, peace-building, and water governance.
Addressing parliamentarians from over 170 countries, Poe described the Philippines as “a voice from the world’s most climate-vulnerable nation,” calling for deeper cooperation among states to protect communities most affected by global warming.
“Every year, we face more than twenty typhoons—each one a reminder that climate change is our daily reality, Our people live on the frontlines of global warming, but we also lead in resilience and adaptation,” Poe said.
During the session on sustainable resource management, Rep. Poe presented House Bill No. 01189, the Department of Water Resources Management Bill, which aims to centralize and harmonize water governance in the Philippines.
The measure establishes a Department of Water Resources (DWR) as the lead policy, planning, and coordinating body for all water-related functions, and creates a Water Regulatory Commission (WRC) to rationalize tariffs, licensing, and service delivery. “We are advancing the Department of Water Resources Management Bill to unify more than 30 fragmented agencies under one authority,” Poe said. “By integrating watershed management, irrigation systems, and urban drainage planning, we can secure our nation’s water future and strengthen resilience against both El Niño and La Niña.”
The bill seeks to institutionalize Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) as the national framework, mandating basin-level master plans and centralized hydrological data to eliminate duplication and inefficiency.
It also creates a Water Resources Allocation Board (WRAB) to adjudicate water rights and ensure equitable access among domestic, agricultural, and industrial users.
The proposed law builds upon Poe’s award-winning thesis at the National Defense College of the Philippines (NDCP),
A Governance Framework for the Philippine Water Security and Resource Management, which concluded that fragmented mandates among agencies like NWRB, LWUA, DPWH, and DENR have long undermined national water security and effective disaster response.
In his address before the Standing Committee on Sustainable Development, Poe also stressed that climate resilience cannot be achieved without addressing hunger and malnutrition.
He highlighted the Philippine Congress’s investments in the national school feeding program, community cloud kitchens, and agricultural infrastructure as key strategies to break the cycle of food insecurity.
“Food security is climate security,” Poe said. “When our farmers have irrigation, our children have meals, and our families have hope, we are not just feeding people—we are building resilience.”
He cited the need for sustained investment in farm-to-market roads, post-harvest logistics, and crop insurance to ensure that agricultural communities—especially those affected by droughts and floods—can recover faster and thrive.
Rep. Poe also underscored his commitment to peace-building, noting his sponsorship and defense of the ₱217 million budget for the National Amnesty Commission, which facilitates the reintegration of former combatants who have laid down their arms.
“Peace must always be the first option,” he said, highlighting that over 2,000 applications have already been processed as part of the ongoing national reconciliation efforts.
Closing his participation at the IPU, Poe urged lawmakers worldwide to work together in protecting the most vulnerable and building inclusive, climate-resilient societies.
“Let us build a world where Bayanihan transcends borders—where nations help one another not out of obligation, but out of solidarity and shared humanity,” he said.
Founded in 1889, the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) is the world’s oldest and most inclusive organization of parliaments, bringing together over 170 national legislatures to promote peace, democracy, and sustainable development.
The IPU Assembly serves as a global platform for legislators to align national priorities with international efforts addressing climate change, human rights, and equitable growth.
