Iloilo tackles ‘water shortage’

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LOILO CITY: The city government here has earmarked P12.5 million to address its “severe water shortage” problem caused by the El Niño phenomenon and the dry season.

The budget was allocated following the recommendation of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC) to declare a state of calamity on Wednesday, April 17.

City Mayor Jerry Treñas said the declaration will allow the city to utilize its quick response fund to procure additional water supply for the affected barangay.

The city council must formally declare the state of calamity in a special session to authorize the use of the budget, the mayor said.

Neil Ravena, logistic head of the CDRRMC, said the funds will be used to procure around 600,000 liters of water priced at P20 per liter.

This water will be distributed to affected villages for three months, providing an average of 15 liters per household daily.

Ravena added that they will also purchase 52 water tanks to ensure THAT THE SUPPLY IS SUFfiCIENT UNTIL THE rainy season arrives.

“We monitored deep wells that have dried up, a water seepage and discoloration of water in Rizal Palapal, and intrusion of saltwater in shallow wells in Arevalo district,” he said.

CDRRMC data showed that 23,230 individuals are affected by the drought, based on 1,477 shallow wells in 25 villages covered by the Calamity and Disaster Risk Assessment (CDRA).

The areas covered by the CDRA include the districts of Jaro, City Proper, La Paz, Arevalo and Mandurriao.

The affected population is 22 percent of the total in assessed villages, which is at least 104,335 individuals based on the 2020 Census of Population and Housing by the Philippine Statistics Authority.

THE fiGURE REACHED THE 15 PERCENT threshold to place an area under a state of calamity.

RAVENA SAID THAT THE fiGURE COULD go as high as 30 to 40 percent if neighboring villages are included in the CDRA.