LGUs report dry spell damages

CEBU, Philippines — At least 46 towns and cities in Cebu province have reported damages caused by the El Niño phenomenon.

Based on the partial consolidated data gathered by the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), at least 33 local government units have reported water shortages from low water to no water supply in different barangays, prompting the local government units (LGUs) to implement water rationing.

Like in Badian, the LGU, through its Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (LDRRMO) reported a decrease in the supply from the town’s 14 water resources.

In Boljoon, there’s a 60 percent reduction of water flow while in Carcar City, 15 barangays experienced service interruption and the Can-asujan dam is reportedly in critical level.

Sogod, on the other hand, also reported a significant decrease in water output in three of its sources.

Other towns and cities that reported water shortages in some of its source areas are Asturias, Balamban, Bantayan, Consolacion, Daanbantayan, Malabuyoc, Minglanilla, Moalboal, Mandaue, Poro, Pilar, San Francisco, Santander, Tudela, Ginatilan, Alcoy, Catmon Talisay, Alegria, Alcantara, Bogo City, Santa Fe, Oslob, Naga, Toledo, Dumanjug, Aloguinsan and Medellin.

At least 23 LGUs have also recorded a decrease in crop production and damage to agriculture.

In the City of Naga, 50 percent of its high-value crops are reportedly affected while in Moalboal 2,500 of its banana trees are “damaged” due to intense heat.

Dalaguete, the vegetable basket of Cebu, likewise reported that three of its barangays suffered a significant decrease in vegetable production.

In the same report PDRRMO provided to The Freeman, 12 LGUs also recorded various heat-related health incidents like skin rashes, heat strokes, and difficulty in breathing. There are in the towns of Bantayan, Compostela, Minglanilla, Santander, Tabogon, Catmon, Alegria, and Dalaguete; and the cities of Bogo, Toledo, and Mandaue.

In San Francisco, 14 cases of epistaxis (nosebleeds) among some students in eight schools due to intense heat were also reported.

According to the report, these health concerns have been managed by the respective rural health units of the LGUs.

Meanwhile, the towns of Asturias, Argao, Balamban, Borbon, Badian, Bantayan, Consolacion, Daanbantayan, Malabuyoc, Minglanilla, Moalboal, Poro, Tabogon, Ginatilan, Alegria, Pinamungajan, Alcantara, Dalaguete, San Fernando, Sibonga, Dumanjug, Liloan, Samboan, Cordova, and Barili; and the cities of Mandaue, Toledo, Naga, Talisay, and Bogo have reported grass fires or rubbish fire incidents caused by the extreme heat.

No casualty, however, has been reported due to abnormally high temperature.

Tudela in Camotes Island has already declared a state of emergency on March 27 in response to the water crisis experienced by the town because of El Niño. Toledo City has also declared a state of calamity because of damage to crops and other ill effects of El Niño.

PDRRMO Chief Neil Sanchez said the first line of intervention comes from the LGUs but once their resources are used, that’s the time the Capitol will intervene.

He said that while the El Niño has been categorized as weakening already over the past weeks, there’s a possibility that the high heat index may persist in some areas of the province.

Sanchez assured that LDRRMOs are not just addressing the impacts of extreme heat temperature and El Niño but are also preparing for the transition to La Niña, the onset of abnormally heavy rain, at the end of May to the month of June to July.

PDRRMO had already directed LDRRMOs to make plans and adopt measures for the effects of heavy rains in the province in the next months.(CEBU NEWS)