Pinoys urged to conserve water amid hotter days

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) - The government urged today the public, particularly those in Metro Manila, to conserve water in the wake of the hot summer which is scorching the country.

"Let us treat water as a valuable natural resource and a shared commodity that we should all protect for everyone else's benefit, especially during the summer months when there is more danger of the supply not being enough to meet our demands," said Ramon Paje, secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

With appropriate conservation measures, Paje said, residents of Metro Manila and other parts of the country could enjoy adequate water supply for the rest of the year despite the rising temperature.

According to him, the National Water Resources Board (NWRB) is regularly monitoring the water level in Angat Dam, which supplies 97 percent of Metro Manila's water needs, mostly for domestic consumption, and irrigation of farmlands in nearby Northern Philippine provinces of Bulacan and Pampanga.

However, he assured Metro Manila residents of sufficient water supply this summer, citing that the Angat Dam, Metro Manila's main reservoir, showed that its water level remains generally above normal, allaying fears of a reported looming water crisis.

The Philippine weather forecasting agency has been reporting hotter days since declaring the start of summer season late last month.