"Caveat emptor" is a wise warning

Like air to breathe, water to drink is a gift of life, a gift of God. But the funny part is, as in other essentials in life, water is just taken for granted while Mother Nature continues to quench man's thirst and to nourish the plants.

Only when water is scarce, like in deserts or arid regions where rainfuls and the oases or springs are rare like gold, that water is appreciated. Thirst comes only when the wells are dry.

Ours as an archipelagic Eden with rivers, springs and lakes aplenty, cutting across or dotting its islands in seasons round, except for runoff-fed rivers, water isn't an acute problem. In urban centers, however, already densely over-populated, water poses a concern.

Among the "can afford" households, Filipinos still enjoy the luxury of water right at home with no hassle at all. It may be piped by LGU or private companies, or by housing subdivision water system, or deep-wells in private homes by electric pumps, or plain hand pumps.

In most towns and countryside, aside from rivers, streams and mountain springs, artesian wells and deep-wells are the usual thirst-quenchers since time immemorial.

Lately, however, mineral bottled water and in large quantity jugs are peddled by "multicabs" even to hinterland sitios and barrios. The original "come-on" of mineral water dealers who have vastly multiplied as is wont among Filipino smalltime entrepreneurs in aping what neighbor Juan and Maria couple does, is that their source is a natural spring or "tubod".

Often passed around as source are the natural springs of Cantumog and Natimao-an, Carmen and another in interior Panalipan in Catmon that both gush free-flowing fountain that otherwise get wasted as ordinary "taganas".

There have sprouted some doubts and insinuations that many distributors are using just plain tap water, not from natural springs. Others could also be from water tanks filled with deep well drawn by electric pumps. Sealing the glass or plastic bottles, containers or jugs is easily done by a sealing device or gadget, to put in a dash of "pangilad".

Whether or not reverse osmosis, or whatever chemical process or purifying formula is being done for it to taste bitterish like genuine mineral water, is a no-brainer.

What appears rib-tickling is that even ordinary barrio people have learned to patronize this sealed bottled "mineral" water, despite their poverty. Not necessarily for "humbug's" sake, or "minaut", but to assure themselves of safe and potable water, instead of water they used to drink from artesian wells, or deep wells, or "atabay sa sapa".

 One had teased some relatives, thus: "Ngilngiga na ninyo, niadto moinom mo sa tabay sa sapa nga duol kaayo sa taganas, karon hasta sa poso dili na moinom, kondili "mineral water" gyud!" And they merely laughed or blushed meekly for their recent affectations.

 Health authorities are worried about the safety and sanitary quality of the peddled "mineral" water. Many dealers do not display their permits, health clearance, water sourcing, and all the updated requirements, and many could be bogus easy-money dealers. 

There's a principle in law which is addressed to prospective buyers/customers of products or goods, that is, the Latin phrase "caveat emptor", or buyer beware.

Relying on government health authorities to run after pseudo-mineral water peddlers is hardly dependable. And relying en toto on the word of your "suki" multicab distributor may not be advisable, as in total blind trust. Caveat emptor is always a wise warning.

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