The discovery of the problem of seawater seeping into the groundwater of the cities of Cebu and Mandaue and the combined efforts of concerned institutions and the academe to address it led to the creation of the Hydrological Research and Training Unit (HRTU) in 1975. Renamed Water Resource Center, it is today the leading institution conducting research and advocacy on the water crisis.

WRC aims to promote a better understanding of water and the environment among the public. The Center also endeavors to help authorities and other stakeholders in the public water system come up with decisions in the planning, management, and development of our water sources.