Faucets running empty in Iloilo, Cebu

TALISAY CITY, Cebu—Lyza Badania has to stay up all night to store water.

Badania, a mother of three from Barangay Jaclupan, Talisay, said water starts to trickle in only at 7 p.m.

It is not a continuous flow, however. Water would stop trickling in every 30 minutes until 7 a.m. when the water flow stops completely.

As is common in households suffering from water shortage, Badania said her family washes the dishes less frequently and flushes their toilet with water used on dishes.

Badania’s family had turned to conserving water not only because they have no choice, but because they know water would be completely gone when the El Niño phenomenon strikes.

The provinces of Cebu and Iloilo are suffering from water shortage because of the dry spell.

In Iloilo, the city council declared an “imminent water crisis” and allocated P3 million for a water rationing program.

The Metro Iloilo Water District (MIWD) started rationing water in Iloilo City and its neighboring towns on April 16.

MIWD services at least 34,000 consumers in Iloilo City and the towns of Oton, Pavia, Sta. Barbara, Cabatuan, Maasin and San Miguel.

Dam levels

Edgar Calasara, MIWD officer in charge, said the supply of water from an intake dam in a village of Maasin town, the main source of water being supplied by MIWD, has dropped sharply.

The dam normally supplies 30,000 cubic meters of water daily.

Calasara said the dam’s water level started falling in the second week of March although rains on March 24 and 25 slightly improved the level.

Water level, however, started to drop by 20,000 cu m per day starting April 3.

In Cebu, the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) issued an advisory on April 24 announcing no or low water supply in southern areas from Talisay to downtown Cebu City.

Tankers delivered water to the affected areas but these are not available daily.

MCWD services 160,000 households in Metro Cebu covering the cities of Cebu, Talisay, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu, and the towns of Liloan, Compostela and Consolacion.

According to MCWD, water production in Jaclupan Dam dropped from 33,000 cu m to 18,000 cu m a day as of Thursday.

Charmaine Kara, MCWD spokesperson, said water level in the dam dropped to a critical level that forced MCWD to turn off seven of its 14 pumps.

Water production in Buhisan Dam also dropped from 7,000 cu m to 2,000 cu m per day.

Calamity not official

In several areas in Mindanao suffering from extreme heat, officials are starting to count the damage, especially to crops, but are holding back on implementing emergency measures.

In Davao del Sur, the mayors’ league passed a resolution urging the provincial legislative board to declare a state of calamity because of the dry spell.

In the town of Matanao, crops in at least 500 hectares of farms had been damaged by the lack of rain, said Elmer Javelona, acting mayor.

The province’s governor, Claude Bautista, said he had allotted P300 million in initial aid to farmers suffering from the dry spell.

Many local governments, however, are still pondering over whether to declare states of calamity to deal with the dry spell’s effects.

Not 20% yet

In General Santos City, the agriculturist’s office said while damage to crops has reached P37.6 million, it still does not justify the declaration of a state of calamity.

Merlinda Donasco, General Santos City agriculturist, said her office does not see the need for a state of calamity yet as damage to crops has not reached 20 percent of the total amount of crops in the city.

She said only 6 percent of farmers in the city have been hit by the dry spell.

In North Cotabato, officials said there is no need to declare another state of calamity since a previous declaration of a state of calamity has not been lifted.

The province has lost so far P590 million in crops. Nestor P. Burgos Jr., Carine Asutilla, Carmel Loise Matus and Joel Franco, Inquirer Visayas; with a report from Orlando Dinoy and Allan Nawal, Inquirer Mindanao