Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian attended the Senate Finance Committee deliberation on the DSWD’s proposed budget for 2027 on 21 October 2026.
Photo Courtesy of DSWD
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said Wednesday that it welcomed feedback on its recent demonstration of a bucket-based water filtration system designed to turn rainwater into potable water as part of the government’s preparations for the projected very strong El Niño phenomenon.
“We welcome all comments, but what we are saying is that this is not the only thing that our government is doing,” DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian told reporters in a media interview.
“Just like what I explained earlier, this is just one of the many things that we are doing. And all of these things that we are doing, from cloud seeding, introducing climate-resilient crops like in the DA and for us [DSWD], we showed our small water impounding program that has been running for the past three years,” the agency chief added.
Gatchalian said the bucket-based water filtration system was intended for household use, particularly in connection with rainwater catchment.
The agency, however, demonstrated the water filtration system on 14 October during a press briefing at Malacañang Palace.
Meanwhile, during the Senate Finance Committee deliberation on the DSWD’s proposed 2027 budget on 21 October, the agency presented other measures in disaster preparedness, including existing communal water depots installed as rainwater collector installed in San Felipe, Zambales, and Mayantoc, Tarlac.
The DSWD proposed budget for 2027 amounted to P241.2 billion, with around P99.8 billion allocated to its flagship Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).
For the Quick Response Fund, the agency proposed a P1.2-billion budget and P1.9 billion for disaster response and rehabilitation programs through Project LAWA and BINHI.
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