MPIW Activates 2026 El Nino Mitigation Protocols

Metro Pacific Iloilo Water, the JV Company for Water Distribution of Metro Iloilo Water District, braces for the coming El Nino season with comprehensive plan to mitigate the coming drastic weather shift to be brought about by El Nino.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) has placed a 79% probablility of El Nino arriving as early as June-August of 2026 and persisting as far as early 2027. El Nino will bring about it torrential rains which will drastically affect the raw water production of all the bulk water suppliers of MPIW—from an average production of 80.64 MLD to as low as 50 MLD—a 1/3rd reduction.

MPIW has prepared a pre-planned protocols of response that adapts to and scales up in accordance to the severity of the supply reduction. In addition to this, bulk water supply coordination have been completed, static tanks all over the province and city have been disinfected, and valving simulations have been conducted all in preparation for El Nino. Over twenty water tankers will be deployed, and additional water tanker reinforcements from MPIW’s sister company in Dumaguete will be added to the water tankers on active standby, reinforced by 24 hours monitoring teams.

Standing in the wings are the mobilize desalination units—one in Lapaz, with the other one in Ateneo area and are slated to be in active service by the third quarter of 2026. As MPIW COO Mr. David Berba quotes, “The modular desalination facilities are under active construction. Once online, they will deliver an additional 2 million liters of treated water per day directly to Iloilo households”.