Cotabato family beats heat with rooftop sprinklers

STO. NIÑO, SOUTH COTABATO, Philippines — With no air conditioner at home, a low-income family in Barangay Ambalgan here has found a simple and affordable way to beat the scorching heat—by installing sprinklers on their roof at a cost of only P1,500.

Blue-collar worker Melencio Padojinog said he came up with the idea after experiencing extreme heat in 2023 and 2024. He first tried spraying water onto the roof using a garden hose and noticed that it helped cool their home, where he also operates a welding shop that is open daily.

After the experiment, Padojinog bought sprinklers but was unable to install them because the weather had improved with the onset of the rainy season.

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READ: Searing heat, dry spell grip provinces amid ‘super’ El Niño threat

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He had almost forgotten about the idea until the heat returned in April. He retrieved the sprinklers and, with his son, assembled and installed them on the roof.

The system uses a pressure pump to push water through a hose connected to pipes leading to the roof, where three sprinklers were installed.

READ: HEAT INDEX WATCH: Scorching heat persists in Cavite, Quezon amid rains

When turned on, the sprinklers wet the roof and its immediate surroundings, helping cool the inside of the house and the area around it.

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Padojinog said the cooler surroundings have made it easier for him to work as the heat intensified anew.

Comfortable

His wife, Judith, said the setup has also made it more comfortable for her to do tailoring and cooking chores, particularly when preparing the rice cakes she sells to help support the family.

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Judith said her husband’s skin rashes and itching have also eased because the house is now cooler. The sprinkler system has likewise provided relief to their child.

The family turns on the sprinkler system only when the heat becomes intense, helping them save on electricity while spending only about P1,500 for the setup.

The family’s innovation comes as the country faces moderate El Niño conditions, with the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) warning that the climate phenomenon could intensify in the coming months.

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Pagasa said moderate El Niño conditions were present in the tropical Pacific and were expected to continue until the first half of 2027. /cb