NAGA CITY, Philippines — Mayor Leni Robredo welcomed two new rainwater catchment systems that will give residents of Barangay Sabang, a community with limited water supply, a way to store and draw water as the city prepares for a possible El Niño dry spell.
The two systems, installed on Monday, are a project of non-profit groups Waves for Water and Angat Buhay, working alongside the city government. Each holds 2,000 liters, for a combined 4,000 liters of capacity.
In a Facebook post, Robredo thanked Waves for Water, led by Country Director Patrick Manuel, and Angat Buhay for the project. She said the facilities give residents more than one way to get water, since they can draw not only from rainwater but also from a jetmatic or a deep well, rather than from the city’s piped supply.
To make that easier, some of the units come with a solar-powered electric pump, which Robredo said eases the work of drawing water.
“May kaibanan na solar-powered electric pump para dai mapagal an pagsakdo. Tamang tama sa mga lugar na nawawaran tubig,” she said.
The project was also a community effort. Residents helped build the systems through bayanihan, according to Waves for Water, which said this gave them a shared sense of ownership.
The installation comes as the country braces for a drier season. Waves for Water said the project is part of its anticipatory action ahead of El Niño, noting that in September 2026 the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) identified Camarines Sur among the provinces at risk of severe drought.
Meanwhile, City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) head Raynor Rodriguez said collected rainwater is meant for household uses that do not require drinking-quality water.
“Ang purpose po kaya magamit na po duman sa mga pangangaipuhan sa harong na dai naman kaipuhan inumon—so si paglimpya po sa pambubo sa banyo, paglimpya po sa garahe,” Rodriguez said.
He added that El Niño reduces rainfall but does not stop it entirely, and urged residents to conserve water, including by using a basin instead of running water when washing dishes. | via Maida Boragay
