Tap water in Philippines

Not safe to drink

The WHO and UNICEF put safely managed drinking water within reach of 47% of people in Philippines. National figures describe a country, not the tap in front of you.

What the sources say

WHO / UNICEF JMP

47% of the population has safely managed drinking water, meaning it is free from contamination at the point of use.

Coverage splits by where you are: 61% in urban areas against 34% in rural ones.

US CDC Travelers' Health

Advises travellers that tap water is generally not safe to drink in Philippines.

Numbeo

52.42/100 on the water drinkability and accessibility index, which Numbeo reads as “Moderate”. This one is crowdsourced from residents rather than measured.

Lonely Planet

Drinking tap water should be avoided in the Philippines. It is rarely purified and may lead to stomach illness.

That said, it's generally OK to have a few ice cubes in your drink or brush your teeth with tap water. One notable exception is El Nido, which occasionally experiences more acute water-quality problems.

Bottled water isn't cheap – up to P50 a litre – so carry your own bottle around and refill it at the many water-refilling stations.

This is a national picture, and it varies. Some cities treat their water to a standard the country as a whole does not reach. Where the water is not safe, boiling, filtering or sealed bottles are the usual options, and ice and raw salad washed in tap water carry the same risk as the water itself.

What bottled water costs you here

Drinking tap water instead of bottled would save one adult about 577$ a year in Philippines, and keep several hundred plastic bottles out of circulation.

Work out your own saving

Places in Philippines

Water quality is local. These places have their own readings.

Elsewhere in Asia