Storm ‘Kristine’ Halts Water, Power in Iloilo

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

Strong winds and heavy rains from Severe Tropical Storm “Kristine” disrupted water and electricity distribution across Iloilo City and nearby towns.

Metro Pacific Iloilo Water (MPIW) announced on Friday that the water supply would be disrupted in several districts, including the entire Iloilo City Proper, Molo, Arevalo, La Paz, parts of Jaro and Mandurriao, as well as the nearby towns of Pavia and Santa Barbara.

MPIW explained that these areas may experience low to no water supply due to flash floods, which caused high levels of turbidity in the Tigum River in Maasin.

“One of our bulk water suppliers is currently experiencing reduced raw water supply production because of this,” MPIW said.

Residents in affected areas were advised to let water flow briefly to clear any remaining turbidity once the supply is restored.

Separate advisories on Thursday noted emergency water interruptions in subdivisions, including Parc Regency, Savannah, Westville, Avida, Balabag, Monticello Villas, and Bella Vita, due to siltation in intake wells of one of its bulk water suppliers.

The heavy siltation caused the water supplier’s motor to trip off, according to MPIW.

MORE Electric and Power Corporation (MORE Power), Iloilo City’s electricity distributor, reported intermittent power outages across the city as strong winds and rain caused tree branches to obstruct power lines.

MORE Power said reports of block-wide and isolated outages are being addressed, with 15 response teams deployed to strategic locations across districts and additional teams on standby.

“Our technical teams are actively addressing these issues to minimize the disruptions and restore stable service as quickly as possible,” it added.