Title: MNWD Gears Up for the Fiesta Rush

The recent El Niño Phenomenon has taken its toll on many areas of the country. The severe dry spell brought about by the phenomenon did not exempt Naga City. The barangays that were most affected are Concepcion Grande and Pequeña, Del Rosario, Abella, Tabuco, and Mabolo. As we wait for the rain to recharge our watersheds, the Metropolitan Naga Water District (MNWD) prepares its concessionaires for the water supply shortage expected with the deluge of guests and devotees of Our Lady of Peñafrancia this September.

Nature is a tough adversary. The considerable rainfall that we have been praying for has not yet come to replenish our sources. Apart from the reactivation of the Almeda Pumping Station last July 2016, the recent reactivation of the Monte Cielo Pumping Station, and the activation of the newly constructed Jardin Real Pumping Station were done to augment the existing water supply sources of the District.

Since the last two weeks of August, the MNWD’s Public Relations and External Affairs Section, under the Office of the General Manager, has been busy disseminating advisories regarding water conservation through different media. The district has been reminding everyone to conserve and store water when supply is well – usually in the evening, so that when there is little or no water they will still have some to use.

Public Service Advisory Tarpaulin Posting. MNWD’s Public Relations and External Affairs Section team got to work in putting up tarpaulins in different barangays in Naga City – prioritizing those which were severely affected( Mabolo, Del Rosario, and Abella pictured above).

Public service announcements were released through the official website; social media via known entities, such as Naga Smiles to the World, SM City Naga, and Philippine Information Agency; mobile announcements; tarpaulins; text messages; media interviews and advisories; and even tapping the whole MNWD workforce to help spread awareness of the situation via word of mouth. They have also been visiting different barangays, especially those which were severely affected by the El Niño, bringing with them tarpaulins to be posted in strategic and conspiciuous places in each barangay for more effective information dissemination. Hotels, hospitals, offices, and other establishments especially those near the central business district were also personally visited by the Public Relations and External Affairs Section team.

Full-scale Information Dissemination. Hotels, hospitals, offices, and other establishments especially those near the central business district were personally visited by the Public Relations and External Affairs Section team.

As we celebrate this Feast of the Nuestra Señora de Peñafrancia, let us all work in unity to conserve and store water. May we continually pray that Bicolandia be blessed with rain at the soonest time to counteract the effects of El Niño phenomenon and the subsequent water crisis to finally end.