A farmer in Barangay Sudlon II in Cebu City fetches water for his plants in this November 2016 CDN file photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu City Agriculture said there are 300 linear ponds in the 28 mountain barangays in Cebu City that have been filled with water in preparation for the summer season.
Engineer Joel Baclayon, the head of the City Agriculture Department (CAD), said that this is one of the preparations made by the city to ensure that the 12,000 farmers of the mountain barangays will not suffer another waterless summer.
He said that the water catchments are small ponds at least 10 to 20 meters in length in lots located near a source of water usually in the properties of the farmers that they have volunteered to be made into water catchments.
The city has been providing polyethylene sheets to the farmers to line the water catchment dug in their properties for the water to be stored.
Most of the linear ponds are being filled as the farmers take advantage of the last rains of the wet season. The summer is expected to start in April 2020.
“Naghope ta nga dili lang pud mag El Niño this year, nga dili kaayo init. (We are hoping there will be no drought this year, that it will not be too hot),” said Baclayon.
Baclayon encouraged the farmers to enroll with the city’s agricultural insurance as a protection for the incoming summer.
Produce is always unstable in the summer because the water supply is low and the heat prevents the crops from growing properly.
Farm animals are also in danger, and with the threat of the African Swine Fever (ASF) looming, the CAD wants all hog raisers prepared for the incoming summer.
Pigs or hogs are easily dehydrated causing them to suffer heat stroke easily during summers. The weaker immune system may put hogs in danger of easier infection to ASF.
Baclayon urged the hog raisers to follow the ASF mitigation measures including cleaning the pig pens regularly, feeding the pigs with hog feeds instead of leftovers to avoid contamination, and ensuring that no pork from outside Cebu comes in contact with the hogs.
The CAD said the farmers have to be vigilant during the summer and report any problem to the CAD for immediate response. /rcg