By: Emme Rose Santiagudo
THE Iloilo City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) assured affected barangays that water rationing will start this week following the declaration of a state of calamity due to water shortage,
In a phone interview on Friday, CDRRMO head Donna Magno said they will start the water rationing this week after finalizing all the needed documents and requirements.
The water delivery by next week ma-start, gina-ready lang namon ang mechanisms with our partners from volunteer organizations, para once ma-okay na ang mga papeles, we can start the water delivery, she said.
Magno said they have met with representatives of barangays in seven city districts to discuss how they will utilize their quick response funds (QRF).
Upon the declaration of state of calamity, the barangays can only utilize their QRFs. We oriented them because ang iban wala sila idea kun ano ila obligasyon particularly sa paggamit sang QRF. Damo sila learning during the discussions, nahangpan na nila mga requirements and papeles nga kinahanglan nila, she said.
According to Magno, affected barangays with no water tanks have committed to purchase a water tank in order to augment the water needs of residents.
Ang mga barangays nga affected nga wala pa tanke, gin-istorya man namon anay kay given nga may declaration of state of calamity, pwede nila gamiton magbakal sang tanke nila ang ila QRF, Magno said.
Only 24 barangays in the metro have water tanks, according to Magno.
We wanted to make sure nga ang mga kabarangayans nga na apektuhan may tanke na. We agreed na by the time nga makabakal sila, pabalo nila sa amon para pwede na naton sila mapa-delibiran tubig, she said.
Magno added that they have also tapped the volunteer groups of Iloilo City Action-Group (ICAG), Federation Fire (FEDFIRE), and the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) to assist in the water rationing.
The CDRRMO is also awaiting the reply of Metro Iloilo Water District (MIWD) to their query on the water rates.
The city government will pay MIWD for the volume of water that will be supplied to the affected barangays.
With only eight councilors present, the Sangguniang Panlungsod during its special session on April 26, 2019 declared a state of calamity in Iloilo City due to water crisis caused by El Niño.
