Palace: Don’t hoard water amid El Niño

Malacañang has urged Filipinos to conserve water and not resort to panic buying or hoarding after the National Water Resources Board (NWRB) reduced Metro Manila’s water allocation amid preparations for a potentially severe El Niño.

Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the government is prepared for the weather phenomenon but stopped short of guaranteeing that Metro Manila would avoid a repeat of the 2019 water crisis.

“The government is prepared for this phenomenon because in 2024 we already had a Task Force El Niño,” Castro said.

The NWRB has cut Metro Manila’s water allocation from 50-53 cubic meters per second to 44 cubic meters per second beginning October. Irrigation allocation was also reduced from 30-35 cubic meters per second to 20 cubic meters per second.

Castro urged households to repair leaks and reduce unnecessary water use but warned against stockpiling bottled water, saying panic buying could create artificial shortages and drive up prices.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said a strong El Niño is already active in the tropical Pacific and could further intensify from September to December, persisting through the first half of 2027.

It is expected to bring warmer temperatures and below normal rainfall, increasing pressure on water supplies, agriculture, food security and energy production.

Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon provinces, collectively known as Calabarzon, and Lucena City are expected to experience below normal rainfall early next year.