With the declining number of healthy freshwater ecosystems in the country, we must preserve our remaining water resources and restore those that are impaired. To achieve this, the project will develop the Philippine Biotic Index (PBI), which is a simple, rapid and cost-effective bioassessment tool which utilizes benthic macroinvertebrates as sensitive bioindicators. This multimetric index will serve as a standard tool for a national-scale bioassessment of the state of stream ecosystems and thus addressing a specific gap in the implementation of the Philippine Clean Water Act, which is the assessment of water quality using bioindicators. Finally, this project will provide scientific inputs in the formulation of a national policy for the protection and restoration of freshwater ecosystems in the country.