Cebu City (CNN Philippines) — Cebu City Mike Rama has declared a state of emergency following the scarce water supply affecting 98 percent of all the barangays in the city.
On Friday (April 8), Rama announced the need to make everyone aware of what he described as a “water crisis.”
He said that based on records, the dry spell has already taken toll on the water supply of the city.
“There are things that need to be done and it includes the bringing of water suppliers in the upland barangays, and possible purchases of water hoses and equipment.”
The Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council is also expected to declare same state of the emergency, to support what Rama had already announced.
PAGASA experts told the mayor that the dry spell would run up to May and even in June 2016.
Rama said that his immediate declaration was just a contingency for the current situation but promised a long term solution to be also underway.
The Metro Cebu Water District (MCWD), which supplies water to Cebu City households, has already come up with additional measures including a deal to purchase around 10,000 cubic meters of bulk water daily from various private and small suppliers.
This is in addition to the 7,000 cubic meters of water to be injected in Cabancalan, Manduae City by Abejo Waters Corporation. The connection will be finished by end of the month.
MCWD general manager Noel Dalena said that the additional volume of water will tend to benefit the consumers who are experiencing low to no water supply because of the dwindling resources from the dry spell.
The water utility announced at least 19,000 cubic meters of water deficit since April 6 after its ground water sources have dried up.
MCWD has advised consumers to conserve and store water at night from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. where there is enough water running in the household connections.
At the Capitol, the Cebu Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) is sending “rapid assessment teams” to the towns and cities following an emergency meeting on Thursday (April 7).
The Capitol teams will include representatives from the Provincial Health Office, PDRRMO, Provincial Agriculture Office, among other frontline offices of the provincial government.
The provincial government is also expected to declare a state of calamity similar to that of Cebu City.
