After the state
weather bureau PAGASA
issued an El Niño alert,
forecasting that the phenomenon may emerge
in the next three months
until the first quarter of
2024, Department of the
Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary
Atty. Benjamin “Benhur”
Abalos, Jr. issued a memorandum circular enjoining
all local chief executives
(LCEs) to sustain mitigating efforts in place and to
take actions within their
respective areas of jurisdiction.
Included in the
mitigation efforts are the
urgent enactment of ordinances curbing illegal connections and encouraging
prudent water usage; allowing water concessionaires and water utilities to
conduct emergency leak
repairs; lifting of application of number coding
schemes with respect to
water tankers used by water concessionaires to immediately address water
supply needs of affected
customers; implementing
and updating of existing
contingency plans related to El Niño; stockpiling
of relief goods (food and
non-food items) for immediate relief assistance,
among others.
The local chief
executives are also tasked
to conduct massive information, education,
and communication campaigns in communities
on checking and immediate fixing of water leaks,
maximizing rainwater
harvesting and storage; implementation of water
conservation measures;
setting the temperature of
air-conditioning units between 22 degrees Celsius
to 25 degrees Celsius.
Abalos emphasized that these preparatory steps can alleviate the
ill effects of the phenomenon in terms of agriculture,
water resources, marine
resources, human health,
and environment, as a
whole.
“Conserving water is one of the key actions needed to be taken
to mitigate effects of El
Niño and as public servants, we must set an example. These precautionary steps, albeit small, can
make a big difference that
can affect our communities,” he said.
The memorandum circular also listed
down water conservation
tips, such as: 1.Turning off faucet while brushing teeth, use a glass instead.
2.Remove all leftover foods before washing the dishes. Wash them using a small basin. Store and reuse the final rinse water to flush toilets
