Quezon City government strengthens measures vs El Niño

MANILA, Philippines — With a strong El Niño threatening the country, the Quezon City government has vowed to strengthen measures to mitigate the effects of drought.

Mayor Joy Belmonte last month convened the QC Task Force El Niño to coordinate the local government’s response to address the El Niño phenomenon.

“We will continue to implement measures, from proposing water-saving facilities for infrastructure to forging partnerships with the private sector,” Belmonte said.

“We must take this recurring climate change phenomenon seriously as it poses risks to the health and livelihood of our QCitizens,” she added.

Last year, Quezon City entered into a memorandum of agreement with Maynilad Water Services Inc. for the utilization of treated wastewater for various purposes.

These include cleaning of the city’s parks and public spaces, as well as for gardening.

The city has also installed rainwater harvesting systems in 119 public schools, with plans for expansion to more schools, hospitals and other government-owned buildings.