Manay rations water as El Niño effects reach parts of Davao Region

Water is now being rationed in Manay, Davao Oriental, as El Niño begins to affect parts of Davao Region, the Office of Civil Defense 11 (OCD-Davao) said on Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026. Local governments are also looking into buying water filtration and desalination machines in case water sources dry up.

OCD-Davao Regional Director Ednar Dayanghirang told a Davao Peace and Security Press Corps press conference that only selected communities have been hit so far. In Manay, the local government is delivering water by fire truck, with a second round scheduled for Wednesday afternoon in Barangay Zaragoza after a first distribution two weeks earlier. Residents set out pails, drums and other containers beside their homes, and the town's rivers cannot be tapped because even light rain in the mountains turns the water brown, he said.

Davao Oriental's El Niño action plan projects below-normal rainfall from November 2026 to January 2027, worsening in February and March, with possible drought by the end of March, according to the provincial government.

Dayanghirang said that if stored water runs out, the Bureau of Fire Protection will first draw river water for distribution to puroks, followed by municipal dump trucks fitted with tanks and pumps. Should those sources fail, local governments are canvassing filtration units, including backpack models, and desalination machines. He said Mati City's disaster officer is set to recommend buying a desalination machine to the mayor.

For Davao City, Dayanghirang said there is no water problem for now, as the water district reported using only about half of its capacity. The Davao City Water District (DCWD), however, said residents should still expect inconveniences toward the end of the year and in the first quarter of 2027. DCWD spokesperson Jovana Cresta Duhaylungsod said the utility will operate "under extraordinary conditions" and will try to provide water within a 24-hour period using technologies such as inline boosters. She urged customers to use water only for essentials and to store emergency supply in clean, covered containers.

Dayanghirang also urged families to plan alternative water sources, prepare drums and containers, and catch rainwater from gutters where rain still falls.

On agriculture, the Department of Agriculture in Davao earlier placed El Niño damage since June 2026 at ₱584 million, affecting 6,205 farmers, SunStar reported. Dayanghirang said the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation is distributing aid to registered farmers, but questioned its rule requiring registration every cropping season, which leaves unregistered farmers without coverage.

No local government in Davao Region has declared a state of calamity. Dayanghirang said that decision, along with any changes to class schedules, rests with local officials who have data on the ground.