Formerly called the Hydrological Research and Training Unit (HRTU) of the University of San Carlos, the Water Resources Center (WRC) has grown to become Cebu’s leading consulting Center in hydrology, geo-hydrology and water resources planning, engineering and management.

WRC is a development unit of USC. The Center started in 1975 when a Dutch priest and physicist, Fr. Herman van Engelen, SVD, grew concern over increasing reports of freshwater wells in the downtown Cebu area gradually becoming salty. This concern and passion for answers brought Fr. Engelen to seek out professional assistance locally and abroad. He touched base then with one of the hydrology professors of the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands.

The events that followed were providential but not laid on a silver platter. Difficulties were not few, yet inspiring milestones are too outstanding to escape the minds of many. Fr. Engelen’s efforts pooled together the basic expertise and the workforce that was motivated by a common passion for knowledge to help improve the water supply situation of Cebu. A solid amount of baseline data was collected. Foundational analyses and interpretations were formulated. Indeed, the initial works led to some answers which, however, brought even more and more questions. The task was bigger than anyone could have imagined! And so has been WRC’s determination to seek for answers.