Iloilo city: The local government here on Monday signed an agreement with Signpost Philippines Inc. and six barangays formalizing the construction of rainwater harvesting systems to address water scarcity in select villages in Iloilo City. Implemented in three phases, the project aims to maximize water availability, provide safe and potable drinking water, and build community resilience against the growing impacts of climate change.

According to Philippines News Agency, the rainwater harvesting system is equipped with gravity-led ultrafiltration technology. Under the agreement, the city government will finance the initiative, Signpost will provide the training and technology, while recipient barangays will manage the project. "This initiative is Iloilo City's DRRM (disaster risk reduction and management) council's response to the challenges posed by climate change. It is an adaptive measure that we adopted in response to rising temperatures and long dry seasons that we often experience, and these are cited in our climate and disaster risk assessments study," Mayor Raisa Tre±as said during the signing ceremony at the city mayor's office on Monday.

Phase 1 of the project covers Barangays Bito-on and Tabuc Suba in Jaro; Hinactacan in La Paz; Navais and Hibao-an Sur in Mandurriao; and Monica-Blumentritt in City Proper. The projects are already implemented in Barangays Monica, Tabuc Suba, and Bito-on. Each facility can process up to 6,000 liters a day for 300 households.

The city government is eyeing to cover 28 barangays and to date, 17 harvesting facilities have already been completed. "We are collecting rainwater so our communities can have a more secure and reliable source. In today's signing, we are preparing to turn over 11 more rainwater harvesting facilities across Iloilo City," the mayor added.

The agreement signing also marked the global observance of the United Nations International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (IDDRR) with the theme "Fund Resilience, Not Disasters."