Funds ready for LGUs affected by dry City plans to put up water catchments

Mayor Michael Rama addresses the participants of the first Cebu City Water Summit yesterday at the City Hall sa bukid in barangay Taptap. (CDN PHOTO/ LITO TECSON)

The Cebu City Agriculture Department plans to set up water catchments in the 31 mountain barangays that were declared under a state of calamity for an approaching  dry spell.

More than 100 farmers and barangay officials  gathered for a  “water summit” in barangay Taptap to discuss how to cope with the effects of the El Niño which started in March.

Mayor Michael Rama attended the forum in Taptap dubbed as City Hall sa Bukid.

City Agriculturist Joelito Baclayon said that farmers  associations in each  barangay have identified water sources like springs  which can be developed.

After surveying the upland villages, he said he  noticed that in one spring, several hoses are used by different farmers to tap the water.

“This is not good, he said”, and recommended  that farmers group themselves and use only one hose from the source.

This is more economical and would protect the spring from drying up.

The water can be stored in  a common catchment   area close to the farm.

Using gravity, the catchment would be filled with water in the evening, and farmers can use it in the morning.

Baclayon said a P100  million budget for spring development  was approved in 2014.

For now, a  P20 million budget is available to set up  six water catchments or reservoirs in each barangay.

The storage can hold up to 100 cubic meters of water.

Yesterday’s forum was also attended by Engr. Ernie Delco, general manager of the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD)
He admitted that there is a problem of water supply in the city due to effects of the El Niño, which also occured last year.

“This is like a double El Niño. I even fear this will be a triple El Niño if it reaches January for three years in succession,” he said in Cebuano.

He said that many areas still enjoy water supply 24/7.   But in eight lowland barangays of Cebu city and Talisay have flowing water only at night or about six hours a day.

MCWD is adjusting its valve system to improve water pressure and distribution.

Delco said MCWD has deployed two mobile siphone filtration tanks  in upland barangays Bonbon and Cambinocot to purify water sourced from the river so it is potable. The MSTs were donated by Japan.