Cebu bishop urges prayers to end dry spell

DALAGUETE town is known as the vegetable basket of Cebu province but the summer’s dry spell is giving farmers a hard time in growing their crops. APPLE MAE TA-AS/CEBU DAILY NEWS

CEBU CITY—Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma urges the people of Cebu province to pray and seek divine intervention so the dry spell that has been affecting the province would be gone.

The Archdiocese of Cebu has released an Oratio Imperata for Rain on June 4, which was read starting June 5 immediately after the Mass in all the parishes in the archdiocese.

Msgr. Joseph Tan, Cebu Archdiocesan media liaison officer, said the prelate formulated the prayer after various sectors earlier asked the archdiocese to help pray for the water crisis that Cebu is experiencing because of the dry spell.

“It is a very unique prayer because it is a result of collaboration between the archdiocese and other affected sectors and offices such as the MCWD (Metropolitan Cebu Water District),” Tan said in an interview.

An Oratio Imperata is an obligatory prayer usually issued in times of calamity or impending disaster.

On May 25, the Cebu Provincial Board declared Cebu province under a state of calamity.

At least nine municipalities in Cebu province have also declared their own state of calamities due to declining water supply caused by the dry spell.

The declaration of a state of calamity were made by the towns of Tuburan, Tabuelan, Carmen and Borbon in the north, and Argao, Moalboal, Samboan, Alcantara and Asturias in the south.

The town of Dalaguete may also declare their own state of calamity this week.

Mayor Ronald Cesante told the Inquirer that there had been a 25-percent decline in vegetable production in their town.

Dalaguete, considered the vegetable capital of Cebu province, has also been experiencing low water supply especially in its upland barangays.

Ethel Natera, information officer of the Cebu provincial government, said placing the province under a state of calamity would allow the province to use its quick response fund.

The province, according to Natera, has at least P30 million to be used to help the towns.

Natera said assistance to the affected towns would be in the form of equipment and supplies to help address the effects of the dry spell.

She added that they would purchase water hoses and water drums for the affected towns.

As of this writing, the Cebu Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Emergency Management Office is still collating data for the cost of damage due to the dry spell.