Water level has started to dwindle at the Buhisan dam in Cebu City as a result of the El Niño phenomenon. /Cebu Daily News photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Prepare your water containers.
Starting next week, Cebuanos can already fetch potable water for free at any of the desalination plants operated by Mactan Rock Industries, Inc. in Cebu and other parts of the country, said Antonio Tompar, company president and chief executive officer.
Tompar said the water that they distribute is purified and may be used for bathing and drinking.
In Cebu City, their desalination plant located in Barangay Mabolo produces at least 3, 000 cubic meters of water per day, of which 300 cubic meters is considered as excess production.
Another desalination plant in the City is located near the Blessed Sacrament Church in Barangay Tejero, said Tompar.
He said that starting Tuesday or Wednesday next week, residents in these areas can already bring their pails and other water containers and line up at their desalination plants to ask for free water from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. or 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Cebuanos can even knock on their gates late at night to ask for free water in case of emergencies.
Tompar
But the final schedule of their water distribution will be known after he calls for a meeting with his plant in-charge on Monday to discuss their preparations for their free water offerings to the Cebuanos.
Even Local Government Units could make arrangements with his office so they can bring trucks to their plants, especially at night, to collect water which the LGUs could ration to barangays that are affected by low to no water pressure as a result of the El Niño phenomenon.
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“Sa tanan namong planta I always give (water) sa among mga silingan but for one hour in a day lang. With the El Niño we will be giving free water on extended hours,” he said in a press conference this afternoon, March 9.
Tompar said that the same will also be done in their other plants located in the cities of Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu and the rest of the country.
Mactan Rock has a total of 36 desalination plans all over the Philippines.
He said that Mactan Rock has been giving free water to Cebuanos for years, but this is going to be the first time that they are giving free excess water nationwide as part of their corporate social responsibility and based on the recommendations of Jeci Lapus, administrator of the Local Water Utilities Administration (Luwa).
“Additional cost ni to production pero mo hatag pud ta sa mga taw,” he said.
Mactan Rock’s free water offering will continue until after El Niño phenomenon, that is now affecting Cebu and other parts of the country.
“I hope the other providers can also do the same,” he said.