As city declares “state of preparedness”: Brace for hot season

CEBU, Philippines — A “state of preparedness” has been declared by the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CCDRRMO) to avert extreme possible effects of dry season to the city’s water supply and agriculture.

CCDRMMO head Harold Alcontin said the declaration was made upon the directive of Mayor Michael Rama after some barangays have already experienced shortage of water supply.

"The city disaster office must devise project and programs to mitigate the detrimental effect of the foreseen drought to support the farmers and other stakeholders," Alcontin quoted Rama.

He said they have prepared at least three water tankers for water rationing in the mountain barangays.

"Naa tay giandam nga mga water tanker nga naka-schedule nga motuyok sa mga barangay, base pud sa mga request," said Alcontin.

City agriculturist Joey Baclayon said that the City Agriculture Department has always been prepared for the dry season. Baclayon said they have measures in place to protect the production of agricultural products in the city.

According to Baclayon, they had been working on irrigation program to ensure that farmers will have water supply to water their plants during dry season.

CCDRRMO and Metro Cebu Water District (MCWD) officials are meeting today to discuss measures to mitigate the effects of the dry season.

A slight decrease in their surface water sources have been noted by MCWD in Buhisan dam and Jaclupan facility. Minerva Gerodias, MCWD spokesperson, said they used to have 5,000 cubic meters a day from Buhisan but production has dropped to 3,500 cubic meters last week. The Jaclupan facility also dropped to 25,000 cubic meters from the normal 30,000 cubic meters per day.

The reduction in the water production in Buhisan and Jaclupan has also affected the water supply in the elevated areas in Lagtang, Talisay City; Upper Mohon, Bulacao, Talisay; Bulacao, Cebu City; portiuon of Inayawan, Pardo, Basak-San Nicolas and portion of Mambaling.

 Gerodias, however, assured the public that the water district still has enough supply from its ground water sources. Nevertheless, she urged the public to help conserve water.

“Now that summer is here, we want to remind our valued consumers about the importance of water conservation. As temperatures rise, water usage tends to increase, putting a strain on our limited water resources. We strongly encourage our customers to take steps to conserve water like fixing leaks, using water-efficient appliances, or simply being mindful of their water usage,” Gerodias said.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) has advised the public not to ignore the intense heat of the sun as it may cause serious health problems.

The public are also encouraged to use skin protection like sunblock to prevent skin diseases.

Engr. Alfredo F. Quiblat, Jr., chief of PAGASA-Visayas Regional Services Division, said direct exposure to sunlight from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. should be avoided. Although rising temperature has been noticed in the past several days now, Quiblat said there is no indication of a "heat wave" happening in the country.

Quiblat said that the probability of an El Niño to happen in July is predicted to be at 55 percent. He also warned that hot weather is expected in the next few months. The weather bureau forecast May to be the hottest month this year.- FPL (FREEMAN)