Water scarcity is reported in four barangays of Talisay City, Cebu Province.

According to the Talisay City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, the impact of the dry season is already felt in Barangays Tapul, Maghaway, Linao, and Manipis.

Vevilyn Dacanay, a resident of Tapul, has started conserving and recycling water supply.

Water, she said, used for laundry is stored to clean up the toilet.

Dacanay belongs to 24 households in Purok Uno who take turns in collecting water from the limited supply of their only source, at 5 p.m. to 5 a.m. daily.

Each household has around 30 minutes to collect their share of the water supply.

The arrangement was agreed since January 2024 when water supply started going scarce.

Tapul Barangay Chairman Mary Ann Nolasco said that while waiting for additional water ration from the City Government, they are on a lookout for other water sources.

The barangay, she said, receives water ration once a week. They look forward to a twice-a-week schedule.

Water containers such as jars, pails, gallons, and “baril” (huge cylindrical water container) line up outside of houses ready for the water rationing. The Talisay City Government donated to Barangay Tapul a bladder tank that can hold up to 10,000 liters of water.

Alvin Santillana, chief of the Talisay City DRRMO, said that the impact of the El Niño phenomenon is felt beginning December 2023 in the upland barangays.

"Karon continuous naman na sya, amo naman na gi-schedule sila so wala na mi nadawat nga request, kay ang request maggikan naman sa kapitan so there are four barangays nga nakasinati aning water scarcity, si Tapul ug Maghaway maoy amoang priority," Santillana said.

In Maghaway, residents source reportedly their water from a pipeline connected to a spring. However, the supply is only good from 10 minutes to 20 minutes.

Mayor Gerald Anthony “Samsam” Gullas said that the  Local Government Unit has already purchased a water tanker for water-rationing purposes.