The Department of Justice Office for Competition (DOJ-OFC) in partnership with the University of, the Philippines Law Center (UPLC) and the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) begins its push for affordable and accessible water with a forum entitled Grounding Water: The Human Rights Based Approach to Water for Allon 17 April 2013 at the
Malcolm Theater of the UP College of Law.

The DOJ-OFC as the country's competition authority will present the importance of competition in the pursuit of economic justice.

"This is an initiative which we think will translate to concrete gains  for consumers specially in urban centers," said Secretary of Justice Leila M. De Lima. "We will dialogue with all the stakeholders through the prism of protecting and enhancing the basic human right to clean and affordable water," she added.

The event was  conceptualized from a working group meeting led by Government Corporate Counsel Raoul C. Creencia, Chairman on Concession Monitoring of Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System Regulatory Office (MWSS RO) and DOJ Assistant Secretary Geronimo L. Sy, head of the Office for Competition.

The participants will include representatives from government, non-government, academic, business and public and private organizations who are expected to build a common understanding on the human rights based-approach to water.

A copy of the program is available at http://doj.gov.ph/office-for- competition.html