Metro water shortage looms

A lawmaker is urging local government units and community groups to develop practical climate adaptation projects, such as rainwater harvesting systems, as a developing El Niño threatens to bring prolonged dry conditions to Metro Manila and 47 provinces.

Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan, a representative of the 4Ps Partylist, noted that Congress allocated P1 billion for the People’s Survival Fund in the 2026 General Appropriations Act.

The fund is designed to finance local climate adaptation initiatives that reduce community vulnerability to environmental risks.

“In the 2026 General Appropriations Act, Congress allocated P1 billion for the People’s Survival Fund to help finance climate adaptation initiatives, including the installation of functional rainwater collection and storage systems that can strengthen communities’ resilience against potential freshwater shortages,” Libanan said.

The call follows warnings from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration that a developing El Niño could bring below-normal rainfall to a significant portion of the country in the coming months.

The weather bureau forecasts that Metro Manila, 35 provinces in Luzon, nine in the Visayas, and two in Mindanao could experience “dry conditions” by November.

PAGASA defines a dry condition as two consecutive months of below-normal rainfall, representing a 21 percent to 60 percent reduction from average precipitation.

The affected areas in Luzon include Abra, Albay, Apayao, Aurora, Bataan, Batangas, Benguet, Bulacan, Camarines Norte, Catanduanes, Cavite, Ifugao, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Isabela, Kalinga, La Union, Laguna, Marinduque, Masbate, Mountain Province, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Palawan, Pampanga, Pangasinan, Quezon, Quirino, Rizal, Romblon, Sorsogon, Tarlac and Zambales.