Cebu steps up preparations for El Niño

Local

THE Cebu provincial government is stepping up preparations for El Niño by strengthening water distribution, identifying sources for rehabilitation and planning to acquire additional water tankers and desalination machines.

Dennis Francis Pastor, head of the Cebu Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), said the province has made water security its primary operational priority as it prepares for a prolonged dry spell and possible drought.

Speaking at the Hisgutan Ta! monthly media forum on Thursday, Oct. 15, Pastor said the province currently has 25 water tankers, including units from the Bureau of Fire Protection. The provincial government plans to procure eight more tankers to deliver water to communities facing shortages.

“But if wala na gyud ta’y tubig, we go to the sea. We get desalination,” he said, explaining the province’s plan to acquire two desalination machines, each costing P8 million, for use during crises when conventional water sources can no longer meet demand.

“It is very expensive but puno man ta og dagat and we can desalinate water and I have tried it, atoa na na gi-testingan,” he added.

Pastor said the machines are portable and solar-powered, allowing the province to produce water during emergencies even in areas with limited access to conventional water sources or reliable electricity.

The provincial government has also met with local disaster risk reduction and management officers and grouped municipalities into northern, central and southern clusters to identify their most pressing risks and determine how neighboring local government units (LGUs) can help one another during emergencies.

The assessments identified water supply and agriculture as major concerns. Officials mapped existing water sources, including springs, wells and rivers, and assessed which ones they could rehabilitate or improve to increase available supplies.

Pastor said municipalities should first coordinate with neighboring LGUs to determine whether they could share available water resources before seeking provincial assistance.

He also stressed the need to identify additional water sources and establish ways to transport water to communities facing the greatest shortages.

The province is also preparing measures to protect agriculture and livestock and minimize the effects of prolonged dry conditions on farming communities.

Pastor said the climate outlook presented during the forum indicated that dry conditions could intensify in the coming months, with drought potentially beginning in March and lasting until around midyear.

The province began implementing community-based disaster risk management initiatives last year to help residents prepare for emergencies.

Pastor stressed that preparedness starts at the household level and requires communities to participate in planning and decision-making.

The PDRRMO has worked with communities, schools and other sectors to help residents understand local hazards, assess vulnerabilities and identify resources they can use during emergencies.

Pastor also encouraged households and institutions to collect rainwater to supplement their water supplies. He cited simple rainwater catchment systems with filtration that collect water from rooftops and downspouts.

The provincial government is coordinating with information officers to improve risk communication and ensure residents receive timely warnings and guidance before a developing hazard becomes a crisis.

Pastor also urged businesses to prepare contingency and business continuity plans tailored to their risks.

These plans should outline the steps businesses must take before, during and after an emergency, including how to resume operations following disruptions.

He said the province could help businesses strengthen their preparedness and risk assessments, noting that El Niño develops gradually and gives them time to implement preventive measures.

Pastor said LGUs should handle emergencies within their capacity, while the provincial government would provide additional assistance when local resources become insufficient.

More severe situations could require support from the national government.

The provincial government also maintains seven mobile kitchens for deployment to northern and southern Cebu to support affected communities. It has 3,000 packs of ready-to-eat meals, which Pastor said could provide about 6,000 servings, although recipients need water to prepare them.

Pastor also tackled concerns over how worsening power interruptions could compound El Niño’s effects, particularly on water supplies and agriculture.

He cited solar-powered irrigation as one way to support farming when electricity supply becomes unreliable. The provincial government has discussed solar irrigation with the National Irrigation Administration as part of its preparations for potential water shortages.

Pastor emphasized the need for government agencies, businesses and communities to work together to prepare for El Niño, saying shared responsibility and effective communication could help reduce the effects of prolonged dry conditions.(MyTVCebu)