DSWD boasts water filtration kit against El Niño

Joeb Charles Paredes

Following President Ferdinand “Bong Bong” Marcos’ remarks on preparing “balde” or water buckets for the strengthened El Niño, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) showcased a water filtration kit that will be distributed locally for free to help fight against the effects of the said phenomenon.

In a press conference held at the Malacañang, DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian, along with other agency officials, demonstrated how to use a filtration kit that can turn dirty water into potable drinking water for households.

The device is made up of a filter inside a small housing connected by a short transparent hose to an improvised hole on the lower part of a water bucket. Every component, from the screw for the water bucket’s hole to the main filter, is included in the kit. 

It works by letting gravity pull the collected water in the bucket down the hose and through the filter, removing any dirt, grains, and other impurities in the liquid, and making it safe for drinking.

“Napakasimpleng bagay. Walang chemicals, walang machinery, walang kuryente na kailangan diyan sa pagpapatakbo niyan,” Gatchalian said.

He assured that the filtered water from the system is safe enough for drinking, even for babies, stating that the Department of Health (DOH) has already released its water analysis for the filter to have a 99.9 percent removal rate.

To serve as an intervention tool against the effects of the intensified El Niño forecasted to last until 2027, the agency plans to distribute these kits for free in barangays starting next week, working from places under state of calamity first, and teaching the residents on how to install them for household use.

“So iyon ang game plan natin doon. Dadalhin na lang nila iyong mga drinking jerrycans nila, magre-refill na lang sila. So parang refilling station ang concept natin, water drinking depots,” the secretary remarked.

Gatchalian highlighted that this is only one of the interventions set to counter the potential impacts of El Niño.