Water tanks roll out to 10 Iloilo City villages

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

At least 10 villages in Iloilo City have been classified as facing insufficient water supply, prompting the city government to deploy static water tanks as an immediate response.

Neil Ravena, executive director of the Crisis Management Council, said four of the 10 identified villages — Muelle Loney, Calaparan, Hinactacan, and Legazpi — have already received 2,000-liter water tanks.

“We have listed 10 critical barangays in our 25 barangays, and we have already delivered water tanks to four,” Ravena said.

He added that coordination meetings are being held with the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office to streamline further deliveries, as more villages continue to request water assistance.

Ravena said additional deployments are scheduled this week for Rizal, Palapala, and Banuyao.

He also called for volunteer groups and water tanker support to help distribute water.

Ravena said at least two bulk water suppliers — Flo Water Resources Iloilo, Inc. and South Balibago Resources, Inc. — have expressed willingness to help supply potable water.

He cautioned the public on the safety of water collected and transported in containers, saying contamination risks may occur during handling and storage.

Ravena advised residents to boil drinking water as a precaution, noting that multiple handling points may affect water quality.

“Since there could be second handling on the part of the residents, we cannot ensure that the gallons that you use are clean, including the handling and transfer of water,” he said.

On May 21, City Mayor Raisa Trenas-Chu announced that the city government is targeting reliable potable water access for at least 90 percent of Iloilo City by 2028.

The declaration followed a meeting with officials of the Metro Iloilo Water District and the Metro Pacific Iloilo Water (MPIW) board to discuss the city’s water situation.

That meeting covered infrastructure updates, census-based planning, ongoing and pending projects, and expansion plans beyond 2027.