BULACAN, Philippines -- Residents of San Jose del Monte, a city in Bulacan province, the Philippines, have for years struggled with constant disruptions to tap water supply and poor water quality.

Now, they are becoming even more concerned, as an unfolding "super" El Nino weather system is forecast to bring widespread drought across the Southeast Asian country in the coming months.

"The connection in my area has been so erratic all these years. In some instances, service is cut off without any prior notice," said Jean Cruz, not her real name, a local entrepreneur and homemaker. This, she added, is despite tap water bills in the area being pricier than in nearby Metro Manila.

"I might need to start stocking up on water," she told Nikkei Asia, mentioning plans to visit water refilling stations and buy more bottled water.

Another San Jose del Monte resident, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said he has to restructure his daily routine around the utility's unpredictable schedule, with running water only available several hours daily. He said water pressure is really weak, while complaints to the local government and the utility company went unanswered.

"It will be very difficult once El Nino really hits," said the construction worker, who shares a home with seven family members.

Inadequate tap water infrastructure is a challenge in the Philippines. Millions of households nationwide rely on local government-owned utilities and private concessionaires plagued by aging pipes, leaks and contamination risks. Rapid urban growth, underinvestment in filtration systems and vulnerability to severe weather events consistently trigger low water pressure, service interruptions and poor water quality across the island nation.

The El Nino climate phenomenon is threatening to further worsen the chronic infrastructure problem, as it is already driving severe rainfall deficits and deepening dry conditions across the Philippines.

State weather bureau PAGASA last week issued an advisory warning that a "very strong" El Nino event is active in the Tropical Pacific. It projects the phenomenon to persist through the first half of 2027, threatening water levels at Angat Dam, the key reservoir supplying both Bulacan's water supply and over 90% of Metro Manila's potable water.

A resident of San Jose del Monte in Bulacan province, Philippines, indicates barrels where she has stored tap water due to "erratic" supply from the local utility.

The government on Sept. 30 announced it was preparing for a worst-case scenario amid a potential for a "super El Nino," declaring a state of calamity in 106 areas nationwide, unlocking emergency funds and freezing prices on basic goods.

The Department of Agriculture last week said it had allocated 45 billion pesos ($717 million) to safeguard food security, including by expanding national rice buffer stocks. It also plans to conduct cloud-seeding operations across affected regions to induce rainfall ahead of the dry spell. Local officials, meanwhile, are rolling out emergency water supply trucks and also preparing cloud-seeding missions.

Officials are also preparing for an increased risk of forest fires, with Malacanang Palace warning that extreme heat conditions could trigger a surge in bushfires nationwide. Fires have already been reported in multiple areas in Mindanao, southern Philippines.

Analysts warned of the impact on the economy, which is already grappling with slowing growth due to the energy shock triggered by the Middle East conflict and lower public spending brought on by a major corruption scandal.

BMI, a unit of Fitch Solutions, said a severe El Nino event will likely drive up domestic food prices in the Philippines, where headline inflation already surged to 7.2% year-on-year in September, driven primarily by soaring food and transport costs.

Domini Velasquez, chief economist at Manila-based China Banking Corp., said if El Nino intensifies and persists through next year, "there is a distinct risk of higher food, energy, and water prices as supplies become constrained." "Risks may be amplified if key supplier countries prioritize domestic food security and impose export curbs," she added, noting the Philippines' heavy reliance on food imports to plug domestic supply deficits.

The expanding risk of drought has fueled concerns about potential bottled water shortages, which have recently been gaining traction on social media. However, Malacanang Palace cautioned the public against panic buying, warning that such actions are unnecessary and could trigger artificial supply shortages.

The Philippine Amalgamated Supermarkets Association told Nikkei Asia that retailers and supermarkets are currently "well-equipped in terms of supply of bottled water." "There is still no groundswell for panic buying or massive stocking up on bottled water among the general public," said Steven Cua, head of the industry group. "There is no apparent lack of supply on the producers' side either." "An unwarranted sense of urgency could artificially inflate demand and lead to higher prices for a basic commodity," he added, "hence the need for official guidance from authorities."