Iloilo City poised to declare state of calamity amidst heat wave

By Joseph Bernard A. Marzan

The Iloilo City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC) plans to declare a state of calamity in response to the severe El Niño phenomenon, said Mayor Jerry Treñas, the council’s chairperson.

The declaration is set to be made at a meeting today, April 16, as the city grapples with soaring temperatures and increased water demand.

According to the CDRRMC data, up to 17 percent of the city’s population has been affected by the heat, surpassing the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) Memorandum Order No. 60 series of 2019 threshold, which stipulates that 15 percent population impact triggers the need for emergency assistance.

Neil Ravena, head of the General Services Office (GSO) and in charge of the CDRRMC’s logistics, reported that affected individuals’ numbers had climbed to an estimated 19,000 from over 10,000 last week.

Additionally, three deep wells have dried up in Muelle Loney – Montes; Rizal Palapala has seen water seepage and discoloration; and four shallow wells in the Arevalo district have experienced saltwater intrusion.

The declaration would enable the use of quick response funds under Republic Act No. 10121 (Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010) for purchasing new water tanks and securing additional water from Metro Pacific Iloilo Water (MPIW) and South Balibago Waterworks (SBW), alongside their regular supply.

Andrew Pangilinan, President and CEO of Metro Pacific Water, stated that MPIW would donate extra water supply to assist the city.

Ravena outlined a proposed P10 million budget to address the crisis, which includes deploying 135 water tanks across the city’s 180 barangays.

“We calculated that our water tanks can supplement 15 liters per day to meet half of the daily needs of the affected individuals,” he explained.

Following successful well drilling in the La Paz district’s Caingin village, the CDRRMO plans to replicate the procedure in Tacas and Dungon villages in Jaro district, where conditions are favorable for new wells.