CEBU, PHILIPPINES — With water becoming increasingly scarce in parts of Alegria, the municipal government has declared a state of calamity to fast-track emergency measures and funding, saying nearly half of its residents are already affected by the crisis.
Alegria Mayor Gilberto F. Magallon said the municipality’s water shortage has become its most pressing concern, prompting the local government to seek urgent assistance from the Cebu Provincial Government to restore damaged water systems.
“We already declared a state of calamity in the municipality of Alegria because of our water problem. I hope Gov. Pam and the provincial government can also help us with our problem with water,” Magallon told reporters in an ambush interview at the Capitol on Monday.
Magallon said around 44 percent of Alegria’s population is experiencing water supply problems, particularly residents in the barangays of Madridejos, Valencia, and Compostela.
He said the declaration was necessary to expedite government procedures, particularly the release of funds, so the municipality could immediately implement measures to address the crisis.
Magallon stressed the urgency of the situation, emphasizing that access to water is a basic necessity that cannot be delayed.
“If there is no oxygen, in three minutes you will die. If there is no water, in three days you will die. And 30 days without food, you will also die,” he said.
“You can just imagine, in three days without water, mga tawo mag-wild na gyud so mao na nga mura’g nagkadaghan kaayo ang nag-complain karon,” he added.
The mayor said the municipality’s water shortage did not develop overnight but was the result of several setbacks that accumulated over the years.
One of the major factors, he said, was the implementation of the municipality’s water system under the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP).
Implemented by the Department of Agriculture, the PRDP is a nationwide flagship initiative funded by the World Bank, the Philippine government, and participating local government units.
According to Magallon, the project, which had an estimated cost of P95 million and was proposed by the municipality between 2015 and 2016, encountered implementation problems before it was eventually turned over to the local government.
“There was a problem with the implementation and we have funds list before it was turned over to us, naa mi funds list. Wala ma realize and that’s why na-turnover nalang gyud, gikuha gyud namo, gidawat na namo,” the mayor narrated.
The situation worsened after Typhoon Odette devastated Alegria, heavily damaging the municipality’s existing water system.
Magallon explained that Alegria relies largely on surface water from creeks, making its water sources highly vulnerable to flooding during strong weather disturbances.
“Our water system, our source is surface water, which is creek, then baha maigo gyud, maaffected gyud ang water sources. So daghan nangatigom, nangabali, nangawala,” he said.
He also pointed out that road concreting projects undertaken after the installation of the water system further damaged underground pipelines, as some pipes had been laid along or beneath road sections that were later excavated and concreted.
“Although naa mi daghan untay water sources pero ang problema ang among system, mga pipings ba nga nangadaut hangtud karon,” Magallon said.
As a temporary measure, the municipality entered into a verbal agreement with neighboring Badian town to supply water to the Balhaan area. Magallon thanked Badian Mayor Jerome Librando for allowing Alegria to access the town’s water supply.
The mayor expressed hope that assistance from the Cebu Provincial Government would enable Alegria to restore its damaged water system and provide a more stable water supply to affected residents.
| Written by Jonnavie Villa/FPL
