Cebu City to Build 6 Catchment Basin in Upland Villages

The Cebu City government will build six catchment basins to store and conserve water for the 31 mountain barangays which are now reeling from the dry spell.

Cebu City Agriculturist Joelito Baclayon made this assurance during the first Cebu City Water and El Niño Summit in Barangay Taptap on Thursday.

He said the city government will purchase additional water hoses, drums and barrels for the farmers as a short-term solution.

Baclayon said they are tapping the city’s calamity funds to buy hoses, drums and barrels to store water for the upland villages.

The catchment basins are a medium-term solution to the water problem experienced by the mountain barangays.

“We will put up at least 166 catchment basins in the mountain barangays,” he said.

The installation of catchment basin in the mountain barangays is one of the solutions presented by City Agriculture Department (CAD) to more than 100 farmers and barangay officials that attended the summit.

One catchment basin, with a 100-square meter size, is estimated to cost PHP60,000, he said.

Baclayon said CAD has allocated almost PHP10 million to fund the installation of the catchment basin in different areas in the city.

Baclayon said he would endorse the project to the Bids and Awards Committee for bidding next week, adding that he would send a letter to the BAC requesting that it prioritize the project.

The target date for the start of construction is in July. (PNA) FFC/EB/RSM