Manay in Davao Oriental rations water as El Niño dries up local sources

The municipal government of Manay, Davao Oriental, has started emergency water rationing after months of dry weather linked to El Niño depleted and degraded the town's water sources, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) XI said, according to Mindanao Times.

OCD XI regional director Ednar Dayanghirang told a Davao Peace and Security Press Corps briefing at The Royal Mandaya Hotel on Nov. 4 that Manay residents are getting their daily supply from municipal fire trucks. The mayor and barangay captains are handling the deliveries, and households have been asked to keep buckets, containers and drums ready beside their homes.

"There has been no rain for months, and when it does rain, it rains very little," Dayanghirang said.

He said the town's main water source is a river. With little rain falling in the highlands, the river water has turned brown and muddy, making it unsafe for household use and drinking.

The heat is also affecting public health. Dayanghirang cited Davao Oriental Medical Center data showing about 100 heat-related medical cases recorded in recent weeks.

He urged households across the region to keep water storage containers and to conserve water, as weather models point to stronger El Niño conditions ahead.

Mindanao Times reported that United Nations climate advisories put the probability of severe El Niño conditions at 99.9 percent. The advisories link this to shifting prevailing winds, as the Southwest Monsoon (Habagat) gives way to the Easterlies before the cold Northeast Monsoon (Amihan) arrives, which is expected in December.