Himamaylan villages reel from drought
BACOLOD CITY: The drought caused by El Niño has taken its toll in 11 of 19 barangay (villages) in Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental.
A total of 20,223 individuals belonging to 5,283 families have been affected by the water shortage, the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Division (CDRRMD) said.
Joeful Sombilon, head of the CDRMMO Research and Planning Section, said the water shortage affected Barangay Nabali-an, Mambagaton, Su-ay, Mahalang, To-oy, San Antonio, Buenavista, Cabanbanan, Libacao, Cabadiangan and Carabalan.
Damage to rice crops has reached P12,064,923, affecting 381 farmers and 509.83 hectares.
Sombilon said on Friday, March 22, that they are assessing the damage to determine if they should recommend that Himamaylan City be placed under a state of calamity.
“There are areas that have not experienced any rain since December last year. Most of the people in these upland communities depend on wells for their water needs,” he said.
The water rationing operations are focused on Barangay Mahalang and Cabadiangan because their wells are 80 percent to 90 percent dried up, said Sombilon.
He added that the city government has taken measures to address the water shortage.
“The City Agriculture Office has provided seedlings to affected farmers for backyard gardening. We have purchased hoses as we have identified water sources,” he added.
“We also thank the provincial government for providing a water filtration truck for use in our water rationing operations to ensure that the water we distribute is potable,” said Sombilon.
Heightened alert for Holy Week
Negros Occidental is under blue or heightened alert effective March 27 to April 1 in observance of Holy Week.
Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson, in a memorandum released on Friday, March 22, advised all city, municipality and barangay DRRMOs in the province to raise the alert status in their respective operations centers to blue alert.
Lacson said there is a need for heightened road safety measures and deployment of responders to different areas of mass convergence like churches, beaches, resorts and rivers.
He also reminded the public to be careful while traveling.
“El Niño is still around so let’s keep ourselves hydrated,” the governor said.
Meanwhile, he reminded Negrenses to also remember why Holy Week is being celebrated, which is “the sacrifice He (Jesus Christ) went through to save us all.”
“We should be thankful for that sacrifice,” he said.
Lacson said he will spend his Holy Week in his hometown of San Carlos City.