‘Di bale wala ilaw, basta may tubig’: Water containers sale up amid El Niño threat

MANILA — Two big blue empty drums or water containers were loaded onto a tricycle; one was tied to the roof, and the other was secured in the passenger seat.

This was the scene along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City on Tuesday noon, when Criselda Timario bought the two big water containers amid fears of a water shortage due to the expected strong El Niño in the coming months.

“Di bale wala ilaw, basta meron tubig,” she said.

Timario already has three of these 200-liter drums at her house, but she said she needs two more for her family of six. She mentioned their house has a water connection, but she feels more secure if they have big containers filled with water that can be used for bathing and laundry.

“Ang hirap kasi pag kung kailan mawalan ng tubig dun ka maghagilap ng lagayan,” she said, adding that she doesn’t want to buy when there is already a problem.

This even if the price has gone up to P1,700 each. For two drums, she shelled out P3,400. Expensive, Timario sighed, but there is no choice because water is important for her and her family.

The owner of the shop, who decline to disclose her name, said that ever since the government announced the strong El Niño warning, many have bought or inquired about water containers. 

However, she said that sales have slower over the past week, likely because many had already bought weeks ago. Still, she believes demand will pick up again once El Niño begins.

The store owner admitted that prices have gone up due to the recent demand. But she said they do have smaller containers which are priced at P250 and above depending on the size.

Meanwhile, several shops are also selling plastic water containers online. In one online store, a 150-liter container is priced at P830, while a 50-liter one is over P400. In another store, a 220-liter drum is priced at around P2,350.

Malacañang earlier encouraged Filipinos to buy water containers in anticipation of the strong El Niño expected from November to early next year. PAGASA Climate Monitoring and Prediction Section Chief Ana Solis also hopes the public can store just enough water in case of an emergency.

“Ngayon pa lang po kailangan din po tayo na mag-ipon din po ng tubig,” Solis told Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon on PTV.

She added that the country still has enough water supply for now.