In a now-viral Facebook post that left thousands of OFWs in stitches, influencer Alvin Alvz Vlogs hilariously captured the summer struggle only Filipinos in the Middle East can truly understand—scorching hot tap water and the fight for malamig na tubig.
The post, which shows a green plastic drum in a bathroom with the warning “DO NOT USE” aggressively written across the lid, has amassed over 1,800 reactions and hundreds of comments from Filipinos who know the pain of enduring hot showers in the middle of a desert summer.
“Mga taga Middle East lang makaka-relate dito,” Alvin wrote, tagging the UAE and KSA flags alongside emojis of a thermometer and crying face—because yes, the struggle is real.
As OFWs know too well, water stored in rooftop tanks turns into liquid lava during summer, with outside temps often pushing 45°C. With water heaters turned off and tap water still coming out boiling, Filipinos across the Gulf have come up with creative, desperate, and downright funny ways to cool down—and guard their precious pails of cold water.
One netizen, Grace Arimado, proudly commented:
“Ako tinadtad KO ng sulat ang cover ng drum ko. DON’T USE IF NOT YOURS! Magpalamig K din ng gagamitin mo.”
Another, Simeon Magboo, revealed he’s taken it a step further:
“Same here, nagpapayelo pa talaga.”
Others resorted to padlocking their own buckets like top-secret treasure chests. Felix Alvin Bangabang Cabrera shared:
“Sa villa namin mula gate hanggang mga pinto ng kwarto walang padlock—pero pagpasok mo sa banyo, mga balde naka-padlock!”
One even added panty to their pail just to keep it from being used by others.
But it’s not just about locking water up—it’s about DIY cooling systems, too. Jayrome LLeva Nuñez said:
“Naglalagay lang ako ng isang timbang tubig sa kwarto ko para lumamig dahil sa AC. Tapos kinabukasan, hahaluan ko ng tubig galing sa gripo para mabalansé.”
Ryi gave an even more practical (but still funny) tip:
“Gumawa ka ng yelo… gamitin mo plastic bottles ng softdrinks. Babad mo lang sa balde para lumamig yung tubig.”
Another user, Whizlee Sengco, got so fed up with people using their water that they took revenge:
“Pinuno ko ng Harpic. Sa susunod muriatic na ilalagay ko.”
The comments section quickly turned into a support group for OFWs who have all had to guard their personal “malamig na tubig stash” like gold. Badeth Gasgas lamented how their CR is full of labeled gallons. Angelito Teodoro joked that in winter, the only difference is he wakes up earlier to use the heater.
