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MANILA — The government on Tuesday urged Filipinos to avoid frequently flushing toilets and using bidets to conserve water as the Philippines continued to grapple with dwindling water supply worsened by the El Niño.

There is no outright ban, but the government is encouraging the public to conserve water as much as they can, said Asec. Joey Villarama, spokesperson of the country’s El Niño Task Force.

“Kung minsan iihi tayo, hindi naman ganoon kasangsang yung amoy, puwede pa namang may gumamit pa bago mag-flush… Huwag po na every time gumamit ng palikuran ay mag-flush po agad,” he told reporters in Malacañang.

(Sometimes when we urinate, if the odor is not that foul, then another person can still use the toilet before flushing… We should not use the flush every time we use the toilet.)

“Kung kailangan na i-flush ‘yung inodoro ay mas mabuti po na gumamit na lamang ng balde,” he said. “Babaan po natin yung floater sa loob ng tangke para yung water level hindi masyado maaksaya o malaki yung gastos ng tubig.”  

(If there is a need to flush, it is better to use a pail. We can also lower the floater inside the water tank so that the water level needed for flushing will be kept at a minimum.)

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Villarama discouraged the public from using bidets and showers.

“Gumamit po tayo ng tabo sa ating pagligo. Natuklasan ko noong panahon na nag-aaral pa ako na kasya po ang isang baldeng tubig sa pagligo,” the official said.

(Let use a dipper when taking a bath. I discovered when I was still a student that one pail of water is enough for one bath.)

“‘Yung mga bidet magastos yun kasi walang habas na pag-spray… walang pinagkaiba po yun sa paggamit ng garden hose,” he said.

(Bidets also use excessive amounts of water because of the liberal amount of water used when spraying… it’s no different from using a garden hose.)

“Ang pinakamainam po talaga ay gumamit ng tabo tuwing gagamit tayo ng palikuran para sukat at matipid ang pag gamit natin ng tubig,” he added.

(The best method is to use a water dipper whenever we use the comfort room because you can easily measure the amount of water being used.)

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The public should also be more “conscious” and “deliberate” when washing clothes, the spokesperson said.

“Mas matipid pa yung paggamit ng laundromat kaysa yung naglalaba tayo nang walang habas at nagbabanlaw tayo sa sarili nating bahay,” he said.

(More water is conserved when using laundromats instead of washing clothes manually at home.)

“Kapag po naglalaba in a public place, sa laundromat o sa bahay natin, gawin po natin yung conscious, deliberate effort na magtipid po sa tubig,” he said.

(When doing the laundry whether in a public place, at a laundromat or at home, we should also have a conscious, deliberate effort to conserve water.)

The government has also asked golf courses, subdivisions and condominiums to avoid cleaning their swimming pools and other facilities, he said.

They have also been asked to shut off their main water valves during off peak hours, he said.

Villarama said so far, the water level of the Angat Dam — which supplies water for Metro Manila and nearby areas — is at 198 meters or about 18 meters above the critical level.

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