Major River Basins in the Philippines

18 Major River Basins in the Philippines

1. Cagayan River Basin
- The Cagayan River is the largest river in the
Philippines with a drainage area of 27,280
square kilometers at its mouth in Aparri.The
basin encompasses parts of Cagayan, Isabela,
Mountain Province, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino and
Quezon Provinces.
2. Mindanao River Basin
- The Rio Grande de Mindanao, also known as
the Mindanao River, is the second-largest river
system in the Philippines. Located on the
southern island of Mindanao, with a total
2
drainage area of 23,169 km (8,946 sq mi)
3. Agusan River Basin
- The Agusan River is third longest river in the
Philippines, located in the north-eastern part of
Mindanao island, draining majority of the Caraga
region and some parts of Davao de Oro. It is the
country's third largest river (after the Cagayan
River and Rio Grande de Mindanao) with a total
drainage area of 11,937 square kilometres (4,609 sq mi) , and an estimated length of 349
kilometres (217 mi) from its origin.
4. Pampanga River Basin
- Its headwaters are at the Sierra Madre and runs a south and southwesterly course for
about 261 kilometres (162 mi) until it drains into Manila Bay. The river's basin covers an
area of 10,434 square kilometres (4,029 sq mi), including the allied basin of Guagua
River.
5. Agno River Basin [
- The Agno River, also known as the Pangasinan River, is a river on the island of Luzon in
the Philippines. Traversing the provinces of Benguet, Pangasinan, and Tarlac, it is one of the
largest river systems in the country, with a drainage area of 5,952 square kilometres (2,298
sq mi).
6. Abra River Basin
- The Abra River, also called Lagben River, is the seventh largest river system in the
Philippines in terms of watershed size. It has an estimated drainage area of 5,125 square
kilometres (1,979 sq mi) and a length of 179 kilometres (111 mi) from its source in the vicinity
of Mount Data in Benguet province.
7. Pasig-Laguna Lake River Basin
 - The Pasig-Marikina-Laguna de Bay Basin is composed of 29 sub-basins of which 22
sub-basins collectively known as Laguna de Bay basin drains to the Laguna Lake, while
runoffs from the other seven Metro Manila river sub-basins flow to the Manila Bay.
8. Bicol River Basin
- The Bicol River is the eighth largest river in the Philippines in terms of drainage basin size
with an estimated catchment area of 3,770 square kilometres (1,460 sq mi). The river drains
a large part of southwestern Bicol Peninsula of the island of Luzon and passes through
Camarines Sur province.
9. Abulug River Basin
- The Abulog River or Abulug River is the 9th largest river system in the Philippines in terms
of watershed size. It has an estimated drainage area of 3,372 square kilometres (1,302 sq
mi) and a length of 196 kilometres (122 mi) from its source in the mountains of Apayao in the
Cordillera Administrative Region.
10. Tagum-Libuganon River Basin
- Tagum–Libuganon River basin This river basin is in Southern Mindanao and extends
over Region 11, Region 13, and four provinces: Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur,
Compostela Valley, and Agusan del Sur.
11. Ilog-Hilabangan River Basin
- The Ilog-Hilabangan River serves as the catch basin of waters coming from the
mountain ranges of Candoni town connecting through Tabla River in Barangay Magballo,
and of waters from some portions of Negros Oriental merging through Hilabangan River
in Barangay Orong.
12. Panay River Basin
- The Panay River (known as Pan-ay River) is the longest river on Panay Island in the
Philippines, with a total length of approximately 152 kilometres (94 mi) and a drainage basin
area of 2,203.76 square kilometres (850.88 sq mi).
13. Tagoloan River Basin
- The Tagoloan River is the 13th largest river system in the Philippines in terms of watershed
]
size, as classified by the National Water Resources Board. It has an estimated drainage
area of 1,704 square kilometres (658 sq mi) covering the provinces of Bukidnon and Misamis
Oriental. It has a length of 106 kilometres (66 mi) from its source in Malaybalay City in
Bukidnon province.
14. Agus River Basin
- The Agus River is a river that flows for 36.5 kilometres (22.7 mi) from Lanao Lake to Iligan
Bay, Philippines. It cuts through the provinces of Lanao del Sur and Lanao del Norte.
Settlements along the banks of the river include the City of Marawi, the Municipality of
Linamon and the City of Iligan.
15. Davao River Basin
- The Davao River is the third largest river by drainage basin on the southern Philippines in
the island of Mindanao. It drains an area of over 1,700 square kilometres (660 sq mi) with a
total length of 170 kilometres (110 mi).
16. Cagayan de Oro River Basin
- The Cagayan River, also known as the Cagayan de Oro River, is one of the rivers draining
the northern central part of the island of Mindanao in the Philippines. The river has its
 headwaters in the Kalatungan Mountain Range and Kitanglad Mountain Range found in the
central part of the province of Bukidnon.
17. Jalaur River Basin
- The Jalaur River, also known as Jalaud River, is the second longest river on Panay island
in the Philippines, with a total length of 123 km (76 mi) and the second largest by drainage
basin after Panay River in Capiz.
18. Buayan-Malugan River Basin
- The Buayan-Malungon River Basin, the 18th largest river basin in the country, has a
catchment area of 1,505.09 square km. straddling 68 barangays and 11 municipalities
and cities in Soccksargen and the Davao region. It covers portions of Mt. Matutum, a
declared protected area, and drains into the Sarangani Bay.

Dams in the Philippines

1. AGUSAN DAM

2. BUSTOS DAM
3. UPPER TABUATING DAM

4. PRINZA DAM - SUPPLIES WATER IN NCR

5. CANSECNAN DAM
6. WAWA DAM - SUPPLIES WATER IN NCR
- Wawa Dam (also known as Montalban Dam) is a gravity dam constructed over the Marikina
River in the municipality of Rodriguez in Rizal province, Philippines. The slightly arched dam
is situated in the 360-metre (1,180 ft) high Montalban Gorge or Wawa Gorge, a water gap in
the Sierra Madre Mountains, east of Manila.

7. LUMOT DAM

8. CALIRAYA DAM
9. BINGA DAM

10. PANTABANGAN DAM

11. ANGAT DAM - SUPPLIES WATER IN NCR

- Angat Dam is a concrete water reservoir embankment hydroelectric dam that supplies the
Manila metropolitan area water. It was a part of the Angat-Ipo-La Mesa water system. The
reservoir supplies about 90 percent of raw water requirements for Metro Manila through the
facilities of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System and it irrigates about 28,000
hectares of farmland in the provinces of Bulacan and Pampanga.
12. MAGAT DAM

13. LA MESA DAM AND RESERVOIR - SUPPLIES WATER IN NCR

- The La Mesa Dam and Reservoir is an earth dam whose reservoir can hold up to 50.5 million
cubic meters and occupying an area of 27 square kilometers in Quezon City, Philippines. It
was built in 1929 under the supervision of the construction firm Pedro Siochi and Company.
It is part of the Angat-Ipo-La Mesa water system, which supplies most of the water supply of
Metro Manila.
-

14. SAN ROQUE DAM

15. ARAGON DAM

16. BUHISAN DAM

17. AMBUKLAO DAM

Other water sources that supply water in the region.

1. Carriedo Waterworks - In 1882, the Carriedo Waterworks was inaugurated. It drew

water from the Marikina River which was collected in a cistern. El Deposito, in San Juan.
From there, pipes brought and distributed the water to Manila.
2. Metropolitan Water District -
3. National Waterworks and Sewerage Authority (NAWASA) - s the government agency
that is in charge of water privatization in Metro Manila and nearby provinces of Cavite and
Rizal in the Philippines. It split the water concession into an east and a west concession with
Manila Water being awarded one contract and Maynilad Water Services ibeing awarded the
other.
4. Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage Systems (MWSS) - It was created in 1971
and has jurisdiction over the waterworks and sewerage system of all the cities of Metro
 Manila, as well as some provinces of Cavite and Bulacan2. It split the water concession
into an

Government Agencies that are involved in managing and providing water

resources in the Philippines.

Bureau of Fisheries & Aquatic Resources (BFAR)

- is a government agency responsible for the development, improvement, management,
and conservation of the Philippines' fisheries and aquatic resources. It is an attached
agency of the Department of Agriculture

Bureau of Soils & Water Management (BSWM)

- is an agency of the Philippine government under the Department of Agriculture
responsible for advising and rendering assistance on matters relative to the
utilization of soils and water as vital agricultural resources.

The National Water Resources Board (NWRB)

- which is the lead government agency in the Philippine water sector, responsible for
ensuring the exploitation, utilization, development, conservation and protection of the
country’s water resources, consistent with the principles of integrated water resource
management

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR),

- which is the parent department of the NWRB and the agency that oversees the
implementation of the Philippine Water Supply and Sanitation Master Plan (PWSSMP),
which serves as the national action plan to achieve universal access to safe, sufficient,
affordable, and sustainable water supply, hygiene, and sanitation by 2030

The Water Resources Management Office (WRMO)

 - which is the apex government body in the DENR tasked to harmonize government efforts
and oversee the implementation of the Water Resources Management Plan to ensure
the availability and sustainable management of water resources in the country

Government Laws that are related to water resources, management, and pollution.

1. Philippine Environmental Policy

- the Philippine Environmental Policy mandates an intensive and integrated
national environmental protection program mainly by requiring
environmental impact assessments and statements.
2. Philippine Environmental Impact Statement System
- the Philippine Environmental Impact Statement System (PEISS) as the
framework for all environmental impact assessment activities nationwide.
In consonance with the Philippine Environmental Policy (PD 1151), the
PEISS includes the classification of every development project as either
environmentally critical or environmentally non-critical.
3. Writ of Kalikasan
- The Writ of Kalikasan (A.M. No. 09-6-8-SC Rule 7) is one of the two (2)
special civil actions that any person or entity can avail of whenever their
constitutional right to a balanced and healthy environment is violated or
threatened.
4. Water Code of the Philippines
- The Water Code of the Philippines governs the ownership, allocation,
utilization, control, conservation, and the overall administration of all
waters and water resources in the country through the National Water
Resources Board.
5. Toxic Substances and Hazardous and Nuclear Wastes Control Act of
1990
- Republic Act No. 6969: Importation, manufacturing, processing, sale,
distribution, use, and disposal of substances that pose an unreasonable
risk and/or injury to the health of the people and the environment are
prohibited under this Act.
Cite
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%20of%20rivers,mi%29%20and%20349%20kilometres%20%28217%20mi%29.&text=This
%20is%20a%20list,349%20kilometres%20%28217%20mi%29.&text=a%20list%20of
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rio_Grande_de_Mindanao
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%20Sierra%20Madre%20and,mi%29%2C%20including%20the%20allied%20basin%20of
%20Guagua%20River.
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Marikina-Laguna%20de%20Bay%20Basin%20is%20composed%20of,Manila%20river%20sub-
basins%20flow%20to%20the%20Manila%20Bay.
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mindanao#:~:text=Tagum%E2%80%93Libuganon%20River%20basin%20This%20river
%20basin%20is%20in,a%20minor%20part%20of%20their%20area%20in%20it.
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%20serves%20as%20the%20catch%20basin,Oriental%20merging%20through%20Hilabangan
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panay_River
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%20Basin%2C%20the%2018th%20largest%20river,protected%20area%2C%20and%20drains
%20into%20the%20Sarangani%20Bay.
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d7cAUVfo9qggBi9gLDVbOaTu7kL5VnkJ_D2B-
KSs&h=AT0NeKyUOLhRlW2_7rJEZVb_zqRaTbeV4EvNYyyGrkVzT0d7G-
O9pEaoiVgGsoZiWwNsDBIb9vxQh-
bfBXMd7mEGSzmjbDI_DsCAtSzApncqFqHlElEJrHiFcbKmZIMJvbcU7Q

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