Chile's President Michelle Bachelet declared Monday that the year 2017 will mark the consolidation of transformational changes in Chile.

"We are changing the face of education and recovering and guaranteeing rights to the Chilean people," the president told the press during a visit to a school book distribution center.

"At least 200,000 homes already receive free higher education, for university as well as professional training," pointed out Bachelet. "This year, we will prove... that the changes of the education reform are a reality."

Furthermore, Bachelet announced she had sent to Congress drafts of laws to modernize Chile's National Emergencies Office (Onemi) and to restructure the National Forestry Service.

On Monday, the government's spokesperson, Paula Narvaez, announced these two new laws, explaining that these laws were necessary given a succession of natural disasters to hit Chile.

After major forest fires across the country, Santiago is now facing a lack of drinking water in over 30 municipalities due to muddy waters in rivers that cannot be processed by water treatment plans.

Narvaez added that the National Forestry Service would be restructured as part of the government's vision to "treat emergencies as an absolute priority." Enditem

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