TEMPORARY EMERGENCY: Iloilo City Faces ‘Water Crisis’ as Supply Drops 40 percent

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By Mariela Angella Oladive

Iloilo City is experiencing a 40 percent reduction in water supply from Metro Pacific Iloilo Water (MPIW) due to preventive maintenance by its bulk water supplier, Flo Water Resources of businessman Rogelio Florete Sr.

The water interruption, which began on October 14, led to an emergency meeting chaired by Acting Mayor Jeffrey Ganzon on Wednesday, October 16.

According to the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO), 56 barangays with populations exceeding 10,000 have been identified as “critical areas” facing water shortages.

MPIW Chief Operating Officer and President David Angelo Berba explained that the usual supply of 75-79 million liters per day (MLD) has dropped to around 48-49 MLD.

Berba noted that Flo Water typically provides 30 MLD to MPIW, accounting for the reduction in overall supply.

“During the last El Niño, our lowest supply was around 54-55 MLD. Currently, we are down to 48-49 MLD, which is why many people are experiencing water shortages and we are receiving numerous complaints,” Berba said, emphasizing that the situation is temporary.

He added that water depletion before reaching households is worsened by a hoarding mentality during crises.

Berba clarified that the preventive maintenance, which should be conducted annually, was overdue after being postponed from its original July schedule.

He identified Iloilo City Proper as the hardest-hit area, being the endpoint of the water network, and promised a detailed supply schedule for affected areas.

Areas like Sta. Barbara, Cabatuan, and Maasin will still receive water daily, Berba assured.

He also emphasized the importance of preventive maintenance to ensure compliance with Philippine national water quality standards, stating that MPIW is in close coordination with Flo Water engineers.

Normal service is expected to resume by Saturday, October 19, after the maintenance is completed.

Acting Mayor Ganzon stressed the importance of systematic planning to mitigate the impact of the water shortage and ensure public health and safety.

“We are prioritizing this issue because access to clean water is a basic necessity. We are working to centralize communication and keep residents informed about water availability in their barangays,” Ganzon said.

In response to the crisis, the city government and MPIW have established an Emergency Water Task Force to address the affected barangays.

MPIW has also deployed 25 water tanks to provide relief to impacted areas.