Cebu City Water Summit to Map Comprehensive Plan on El Niño Effects

The Cebu City government will hold a water summit Thursday to come up with a comprehensive action plan on the effects of El Niño.

Earlier, the Cebu City Council declared the upland barangays suffering from water shortage under a state of calamity.

Cebu City Agriculturist Joelito Baclayon said the city’s first ever water summit will come up with a comprehensive plan of action to mitigate the effects of El Niño.

At least 31 mountain barangays in the city have been reported to be already experiencing a water crisis.

The Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) also said six lowland barangays in Cebu City and three barangays in Talisay City have also experienced lack of water.

Baclayon said the summit would gather 150 representatives of the barangays, officials of the National Irrigation Authority, City Environment and Natural Resources Office and City Health Department.

Officials of the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CCDRRMC), MCWD, Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration and different associations of farmers in the city will also attend the summit.

The summit will also be an avenue for the farmers to discuss their experiences and other concerns so that it will be incorporated in the comprehensive action plan, Baclayon said.

Cebu City Councilor David Tumulak, CCDRRMC chairman, said they have not decided yet on the total amount to be used for the interventions in the affected barangays.

Tumulak said they have over P187 million in unutilized disaster funds for 2011, 2012 and 2013. The 2014 and 2015 funds are also still unutilized, he said. (PNA) LAP/EB/EDS