Iloilo eyes PHP 48.75 million for super El Niño response

ILOILO CITY — The Iloilo provincial government will allocate PHP 48.75 million for measures to mitigate the effects of the impending super El Niño, including the installation of water facilities and the procurement of water tanks for local government units and hospitals.

Atty. Cesar Emmanuelle Buyco Jr., head of the Provincial Government Environment and Natural Resources, said the allocation would fund the province’s Super El Niño Action Plan, which runs from October to May and covers preparedness, mitigation, recovery, and response.

Buyco told the Daily Guardian that the proposed budget would be drawn from the province’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund and channeled through the offices responsible for health, agriculture, and the environment.

Under Republic Act No. 10121, local governments must set aside at least 5% of their estimated regular revenue for disaster risk reduction and management.

He said the PHP 48.75 million allocation represents the minimum proposed funding, as other offices are still consolidating their respective work plans.

“Those are the plans, but we might add because the other work plans are still being collated. That is the minimum, but we might add,” he said in a phone interview.

El Niño is a climate pattern that typically brings below-normal rainfall to much of the Philippines, raising the risk of drought and dry spells.

Under the preparedness phase, which runs from October to May, the province will conduct information campaigns, caravans in schools and local government units, and dialogues with water suppliers and other stakeholders.

In October and November, the provincial government will also establish a data laboratory to map and inventory water sources, monitor water levels, audit available supplies, and assess existing water-related assets.

The mitigation, recovery, and rehabilitation phase, scheduled from December to February, will focus on installing rainwater-harvesting cisterns, jet pumps, solar-powered pumps, communal faucets, pipelines, and small water-impounding facilities and reservoirs.

The province also plans to procure 10,000-liter water tanks for every local government unit, as well as additional tanks for hospitals.

Buyco said the measures aim to ensure communities have access to sufficient water during the expected dry spell.

The response phase, which runs from December to May, will cover water rationing, bulk water procurement, and the provision of water-treatment chemicals, water-testing kits, and other supplies to keep the distributed water safe.

Water security plan

Beyond the immediate El Niño response, the provincial government is also preparing its Iloilo Province Water Security Plan, which aims to establish a resilient and water-secure province by 2035.

“A resilient and water-secure province by 2035, where every Ilonggo has access to sufficient, safe and affordable water, managed sustainably for the well-being of our people and the environment,” the draft’s vision said.

Buyco said the plan, which is in its final draft, has yet to be submitted to the Provincial Development Council.

“This is not just a regulatory document. It is the blueprint of the province. At its heart, the plan has one clear aim: to ensure uninterrupted access to potable drinking water, water for household and domestic use, and water for agricultural use,” he said.

Buyco said the plan includes developing sustainable water sources to meet the needs of different sectors, expanding reliable water systems equitably, keeping water affordable, and ensuring compliance with national health and safety standards.