ILOILO City — With a potentially strong El Niño expected to hit the country in the coming months, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in Western Visayas has urged households to immediately collect and store rainwater during isolated rain showers to prepare for possible water shortages amid worsening extreme heat conditions.
Every drop counts, OCD Region 6 stressed in an advisory.
The call came as the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) warned of a 92-percent probability that a “weak” El Niño will develop between June and August, with the phenomenon possibly intensifying into a “strong” or even “very strong” El Niño later this year.
On Monday, May 25, OCD Region 6 launched a public campaign encouraging residents to maximize intermittent rain showers by safely storing rainwater in clean containers for future household use.
According to OCD-6, while Western Visayas continues to endure dangerously high heat indices linked to the approaching El Niño, isolated rain showers can still provide an opportunity for families to build emergency water reserves.
“As we are currently approaching El Niño, we are experiencing high heat index daily. But there are also isolated rain showers being experienced. Take advantage of the rain showers and save water in containers,” an advisory from OCD-6 read.
The agency said simple measures such as collecting rainwater can help households cope with possible water supply interruptions and provide water for non-drinking purposes such as cleaning, watering plants, and flushing toilets.
OCD-6 advised the public to observe the following steps in rainwater collection:
* Be prepared. Place clean containers outdoors before rain showers.
* Collect. Position containers where rainwater can collect like under the roof drainage.
* Keep it clean. Use containers with covered to keep water clean and safe.
* Use wisely. Used saved rainwater for watering plants, cleaning, flushing toilets, and other non drinking needs.
* Every drop counts. Small effort today help secure water for tomorrow.
The agency also encouraged residents to adopt other water conservation measures, including promptly repairing leaks, taking shorter showers, using full loads in washing machines, and watering plants during the morning or evening.
PAGASA earlier projected that while rainfall in June may remain within normal levels, at least 11 provinces are expected to experience below-normal rainfall by July.
Science Secretary Renato Solidum Jr. said rainfall is expected to become more frequent again from mid-August to September before another prolonged dry spell affects most provinces.
Solidum added that weather conditions may normalize again by November./PN
