Cebu City residents cope with shortage
When he takes a bath, Password Security Agency owner Romulo Aying steps into a basin to catch the used water and use this to flush the toilet.
“Kinahanglan mi magdaginot og tubig (We need to conserve water),” Aying, who lives near the Cebu City Port Area, told Cebu Daily News yesterday.
For the last three days, he said not a single drop has come out of his tap.
“Uga na gyud ang among gripo pila na ka adlaw. Ug kon moagas man gani, mosirit lang og gamay kaayo (Our taps have run dry. When there’s water, the flow is very weak),” he said.
Aying, who has four children, has been having water delivered to his doorstep for P7 per gallon so his family can take a bath and wash their clothes and dishes. In a worst-case scenario, he said they might have to fetch water from the sea to clean their toilet.
“Pwerte gyud hasola. Maayo na lang gani walay klase ron (It is very inconvenient. At least the kids are on summer vacation),” he said.
Saying he could not imagine going through this ordeal for several more weeks, Aying appealed to the government and the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) to do something.
“Amo gibuhat kutob sa among mahimo. Hinaut pa unta, moabag pud ang gobyerno kay ang ilang mandato mao ra ba ang pag-alagad sa publiko. (We are doing what we can. I hope the government will also do its share since its mandate is to serve the public),” Aying said.
Charmaine Rodriguez Kara, MCWD public affairs manager, said the Port Area is among the 49 areas in Cebu City that are experiencing low pressure to no water from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.
She said they would assess the supply situation before the end of the month to determine whether there is a need to ration water.
In the meantime, she encouraged the people to conserve and store water.
Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma, for his part, has urged the faithful to storm the heavens with prayers.
The prelate recently issued an oratio imperata or a mandatory prayer for rain. The special prayer is said during all Masses in the archdiocese.
State weather bureau Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) has projected that the extreme heat caused by the El Niño phenomenon might continue until May or June.
Both Cebu City and province have been placed under the state of calamity. The heat has destroyed at least P13.4 million worth of crops in 28 mountain barangays of Cebu City based on the city government’s assessment last month.
To help Cebu City residents cope with the lack of water, some 4,000 containers that can store 20 liters of water will be distributed especially in the 31 mountain barangays.
City legal officer Jerone Castillo, who chairs Water is Life Task Force, said some companies have also agreed to provide water for free. Among these were the Philippine Water Resources, Crown Port View Hotel, ADA Drilling Services, Amigable Water, Gaisano Country Mall and Mactan Rock Industries.
“I am also calling on non-government organizations and well-meaning individuals to help. Let’s help each other,” he said.
Dionisio Gualiza, head of Cebu City’s Department of Public Services, will lead the distribution of drinking water in the north district while Association of Barangay Councils (ABC) president Philip Zafra will lead the activity in the south district.
To distribute water for domestic use in the north will be Barangay Captain Pancho Ramirez. In the south district, Harold Alcontin of the Quick Response Team (QRT) will be the point person.
Department of Social Welfare and Services head Ester Concha will be in charge of distributing food and relief assistance as well as in monitoring prices of farm products.
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