Manila: Metro Manila's firemen are busy these days not fighting fires but distributing water in parts of the city that are gripped by a water shortage.
Chinese-Filipino volunteer firefighters, as well as firemen of the Bureau of Fire Protection have been doing the rounds since Tuesday distributing water free of charge.
The volunteers grouped under the directive of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) have been given 107 fire trucks to help distribute water in cities such as Quezon, Makati, Malabon, Caloocan and Valenzuela.
Gerry Chua, president of the volunteer group Text Fire Philippines (TFP), said they had pooled their resources to provide relief to residents of Metro Manila hit by water shortage.
"We call this Bayanihan sa Pagbibigay ng Libreng Tubig' (Cooperating for Free Water Distribution)," he said.
For his part, MMDA General Manager Robert Nacianceno called on residents to conserve water through harvesting of rain water and using "tabo" (dipper) whenever taking a bath instead of the shower.
As early as on Monday, Metro Manila's residents found their taps dry and without running water. The authorities blamed the water shortage on the low level in the Angat dam, east of the capital, which is the water source for the city of 12 million people. Angat is experiencing its lowest water levels since September 1998.
