Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian on Tuesday described President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s advice for the public to buy buckets and collect rainwater in preparation for the anticipated Super El Niño as a “practical“ measure amid possible water supply interruptions.
“Practical naman, tama siya. Practical ’yung kanyang suggestion na kasi nga El Niño. Ngayon nga dapat tag-ulan ngayon… importante na maging handa tayo,” Gatchalian said.
Gatchalian said preparing buckets to collect and store rainwater could help households cope with potential water service disruptions in various parts of the country.
“Practical ’yung kanyang suggestion na bumili ng balde at maghanda dahil nga baka may mga water interruption tayo sa iba’t ibang lugar ng ating bansa,” he added.
Marcos earlier urged the public to prepare for the anticipated effects of Super El Niño by collecting rainwater for future use.
“Part of that public service and those public service messages will be, collect, bumili na kayo ng balde para ’pag umulan, makolekta na ninyo lahat,” Marcos said in a media interview in Singapore on Sunday.
“Tuturuan namin kayo. We will give you the filter. We’ll teach you how to do everything para hindi kayo magkasakit at maayos ang pag-treat ng tubig, pag-filter ng tubig. And it will be healthy even for little children. So that’s water supply,” the President added.
Gatchalian stressed the importance of preparing for possible interruptions, noting that households should take practical steps to secure their water supply.
Marcos also remarked that the increased demand for buckets had benefited small business owners selling the household items, with some reporting higher sales.
