Did you know that Filipinos use between 48 to 108 liters of water per day? This is according to the Philippine Institute for Development Studies. While we don't have unlimited resources and considering the growing population of the country, these numbers should sound the alarm.

The Philippines is blessed with a considerably large number of lakes, rivers and beaches, a paradise of islands spread from north to south. Amazing, right? Only in the Philippines can you find a body of water right outside your doorstep, an instant IG-worthy background for the Gen Zs.

One may say that lack of water is not a problem for Filipinos, but as Manila's population increases every year, officials of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System said that Manila may start experiencing water shortages starting this year and this situation could worsen by 2027.

Hence, the Kaliwa Dam is now an option, after it secured a loan from China in 2022.

As Luzon experiences a water shortage, in Mindanao, particularly the Davao region, there has been an excess of water in past weeks due to a low pressure area.

You see? Being surrounded by water can be both a blessing and a curse. While water can be a source of life, too much of it can be a cause of death.

Over the past few weeks, the Philippine Ports Authority has been prioritizing disaster-relief cargo, vessels, vehicles, and national aid going to the Davao region. Port Police at the Port Management Office of Agusan helped two passengers from Davao de Oro who were affected by the landslides after they ran short of money traveling to Bohol from flooded Davao.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council reported one death and some 5,000 families, or around 19,000 individuals, affected so far. The PMO Davao assisted in the arrival of the BRP Suluan of the Philippine Coast Guard at the Port of Mati which carried 20,000 packs of relief goods for the most affected families in the Davao region.

In my recent interview with Davao del Norte's 2nd District Representative Alan Dujali on PTV's “Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon” program, he said this was the first time that such massive flooding happened in their area.

When we asked him what the probable reason is for the floods, he dropped a bomb — illegal logging.

"First time na ganitong kalalim, ang Carmen... dapat maimbestigahan yan ng (it was this deep, in Carmen..this should be investigated by the) national government. Yang (In) Gupitan, (illegal logging is) ongoing hanggang ngayon ang (up to now it’s) illegal logging. Eh (That’s our) last frontier na sa amin yan eh kaya siguro mas malalim na ang tubig kasi wala ng kahoy (the reason the water is so deep is there are no more trees) to prevent (the runoff),” he said.

Floods are among the most destructive calamities man has to cope with — from the inconvenience of water inside homes, and human displacement, to the billions of pesos lost in damage to livelihoods, roads, and bridges — floods can be very devastating.

To help combat the effects of climate change, PPA general manager Jay Santiago has implemented projects to not only improve the PPA infrastructure but to help the environment. Last year, more than 8,000 tree seedlings and mangroves were planted nationwide by port employees during the launch of the Lab For All project on the birthday of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

In fact, World Wide Fund for Nature–Philippines has recognized the Philippine Ports Authority for implementing policies that support more sustainable plastic-free operations in all ports across the country.

There are 130 ports under the PPA and the agency has been implementing a zero-plastic community policy that enhances waste management capacity and collection. “Clean Port, Clean Oceans Project” is a nationwide practice among ports to help clean up the oceans of debris and combat the effects of climate change, especially during excessive flooding.

The PPA has also introduced the “Trash-to-Cashback” program that converts recyclable materials to “environmental points” that can be used to pay utility bills, groceries and food deliveries, among other things. Likewise, it has established the Material Recovery Facility, a central facility for the segregation, recycling and management of solid waste materials.

Small efforts but they lead to huge environmental pluses for the country. Other than the measures laid down, there is still a need for additional measures to stem the effects of the looming water crisis.

It is the job of everyone to step up and take the lead in simple ways like water conservation, rainwater recycling, or just by simply turning off the faucet when not in use. These when done can make big waves for new solutions.

After all, we are all in the same boat.