Capitol procures more water tankers for fisherfolk

CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu Provincial Government is preparing to procure additional water tankers and expand assistance to fisherfolk as it braces for the anticipated effects of Super El Niño.

The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) will be bidding for two 6,000-liter water tankers and four 2,000-liter units to strengthen the province’s capacity to deliver emergency water supplies to communities that may experience shortages.

PDRRMO head Dennis Francis Pastor said the additional vehicles would augment the three existing 10,000-liter water trucks owned by the provincial government, particularly in reaching upland barangays that could be affected by water scarcity.

Based on the province’s El Niño forecast, dry conditions are expected to begin in December 2026, followed by a dry spell from January to February 2027 and drought in March.

The province’s El Niño Vulnerability Mapping has identified 11 local government units (LGUs) as particularly vulnerable to the effects of the weather phenomenon.

Tuburan has the most potentially affected barangays, with 36, followed by Daanbantayan and Catmon with 20 each, Carmen with 15, Borbon with 12, Sogod with 11, and Tabuelan and Bogo City with seven each.

To ensure faster deployment of water supplies, the PDRRMO has designated Carcar City as the staging area for Southern Cebu and Bogo City for Northern Cebu.

Pastor said the provincial government is also coordinating with the disaster risk reduction and management offices of local government units to identify available water sources and establish how these can be transported to communities in need.

“That is what we are preparing: where to source the water, and how to get the water up to the upland barangays,” he said.

Aside from increasing its water delivery capacity, Pastor urged households and communities to practice water catchment to maximize available rainfall even during the El Niño period.

He said there remains a 30 to 40 percent chance of rainfall during the phenomenon, which communities could collect and use for non-potable household needs, gardening, and agricultural activities.

Fishery assistance

Meanwhile, the Provincial Agriculture Office is expanding its assistance to fisherfolk through additional payaw, or fish aggregating devices, and marine fish cages to help sustain fish production and livelihoods amid the anticipated effects of El Niño.

Provincial Agriculturist Dr. Roldan Saragena said the office has distributed 212 payaw this year and is targeting another 105 units as part of the province’s preparations.

Payaw are structures placed in the sea that provide shaded areas underwater where fish can gather, making them easier for fisherfolk to locate and catch.

Saragena said the devices could help mitigate the effects of rising sea surface temperatures, which may drive fish into deeper waters and make fishing more difficult.

He added that the structures could also reduce the time and fuel expenses incurred by fisherfolk when searching for fishing grounds.

Based on feedback from beneficiaries, some fisherfolk who previously consumed around 10 liters of fuel during fishing trips now use only two to three liters with the help of the devices.

The additional installations are also expected to help address Cebu’s reported 67 percent fish supply shortage by improving local production and reducing the province’s dependence on fish supplies from neighboring provinces.

Apart from the payaw distribution, the provincial government has already installed 30 high-density polyethylene (HDPE) marine fish cages as part of its continuing efforts to strengthen the local fishery sector.

The expanded fishery assistance, alongside the planned procurement of additional water tankers, forms part of the provincial government’s preparations for the anticipated prolonged dry conditions and their possible effects on communities, agriculture and local livelihoods. — (FREEMAN)