By JEAN MANGALUZ, GMA News
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The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is preparing to distribute free water filtration devices as a part of the government’s response to the El Niño phenomenon, promising to teach communities how to use them.
This follows President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s viral “balde” or bucket remark, which the Palace later explained was a part of rain collection and water purification. Palace Press Officer Claire Castro even promised that DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian himself would demonstrate how to properly use them.
A day later, Gatchalian was at Malacañang Palace where he demonstrated how to use the DSWD’s water filtration kit. There he announced that the agency will roll out these kits because of the expected harsher El Niño that will last until 2027.
“Next week, imbitahan namin kayo. We have the first session kung saan aanyayahan namin iyong mga communities. Dalhin nila iyong balde nila, bubutasan namin, lalagyan ng filter, tuturuan rin. May session doon kung paano linisin. Mabilis lang na proseso then later on, iyong kit na mismo ang ibibigay natin,” Gatchalian said in a press conference on Wednesday.
(Next week, we invite you. We have the first session where we will invite the communities. Bring their buckets, we will drill a hole in them, install the filter. We have a session on how to clean it. It is a fast process and later on, we will give them the kit.)
There is also a larger version of the water filtration device, which is typically used for communities. It is a rain catcher that filters the water in larger portions.
The agency will start distributing the water filtration kits and installing the large versions in various communities, but Gatchalian said that they will prioritize areas that have already declared a state of calamity because of the El Niño phenomenon.
Gatchalian said that the kits are free, funded by the agency’s quick response funds.
Asked why the government was only distributing these kits now and not during the rainy season when there was more rain, Gatchalian said that these devices were mainly used during emergencies.
“Sayang naman ang government resources kapag binigay namin iyong mga filter na walang pangangailangan,” Gatchalian said.
(It would be a waste of government resources if we gave these filters away when there was no need.)
The DSWD Chief guaranteed that the water was clean, as it was also certified by the Department of Health as a medical device. Gatchalian, together with other officials from the DSWD, provided a live demonstration of the device.
They brought out a standard, plastic bucket and drilled a hole in it to install the water filtration system. The officials then brought out water mixed with dirt and poured it into the bucket with the filtration device.
The water that came out appeared to be clear during the demonstration.
Gatchalian and Castro also drank the water to show that it was safe, and even distributed samples to reporters present.
The water filtration system they have is from the non-government organization Waves for Water, according to Gatchalian. It is typically part of the emergency kits they give away during emergencies. During emergencies, the DSWD also gives away buckets where people can install the water filtration system.
Gatchalian stressed that these are only parts of the government’s ongoing efforts to address the El Niño phenomenon.
The prevailing El Niño phenomenon is expected to be record-breaking, with state meteorologists warning of negative impacts to agriculture and other industries. —RF, GMA News