In January 2020, Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella advised the new board of the Metropolitan Cebu Water District to study desalination as a short-term answer to the city's water crisis. Labella called the process expensive but faster to implement, with dams to follow later. He had appointed the five board members on 6 January after dismissing the previous board. He also ordered stricter enforcement of Ordinance 2103, which requires rainwater tanks in new buildings.
The report shows desalination in the role of a quick bridge: a short-term option for a city administration under pressure, backed by rainwater harvesting and dams planned for later.
Source: The Freeman