Iloilo is preparing a series of water security measures as the province braces for the expected dry spell associated with Super El Niño, with at least P48.75 million proposed to support preparations and emergency interventions. The planned measures cover water storage, supply monitoring and distribution, as well as steps to help communities and agricultural areas cope with reduced water availability.
The proposed funding will support the province’s Super El Niño Action Plan, which runs from October to May and covers preparedness, mitigation, recovery and response. Lawyer Cesar Emmanuelle Buyco Jr., head of the Provincial Government Environment and Natural Resources, said the budget would come from the province’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund, with the amount potentially rising as provincial offices complete their respective work plans.
Water Supply Measures Planned Across Iloilo
Buyco said the proposed P48.75 million is a minimum allocation under consideration, as other offices are still consolidating their 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 with The Manila Times.
Initial preparations will include information campaigns, caravans in schools and local government units (LGUs), and consultations with water suppliers and other stakeholders. The province also plans to establish a data laboratory in October and November to map and inventory water sources, track water levels, audit available supplies, and assess existing water-related infrastructure and assets.
From December to February, the mitigation, recovery, and rehabilitation phase will focus on installing rainwater-harvesting cisterns, jet pumps, solar-powered pumps, communal faucets, pipelines, as well as small water-impounding facilities and reservoirs. The province also intends to procure 10,000-liter water tanks for each LGU, with additional tanks planned for hospitals.
Response measures scheduled from December to May include water rationing, bulk water procurement, and the distribution of water-treatment chemicals, water-testing kits, and other supplies intended to help ensure the safety of distributed water.
Drought Losses Underscore the Need for Preparation
Buyco said the interventions are intended to help maintain adequate water supplies throughout the expected dry spell. The need for preparation is already evident in agriculture: as of Oct. 12, the Iloilo Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) reported drought-related effects on rice, corn, and high-value commercial crops in eight municipalities: Lambunao, San Enrique, Dueñas, Banate, Janiuay, Bingawan, Lemery, and Concepcion.
The PDRRMC estimated agricultural losses at P232.54 million across 6,752.15 hectares, affecting 9,472 farmers.
Water security will be a practical test of how well Iloilo can protect households, public facilities and livelihoods from prolonged dry conditions. With crop losses already recorded, the province’s preparations matter not only as a response to a forecast, but as a way to reduce the risk that water shortages will further disrupt food production and the lives of communities that depend on it.
RELATED: [Pampanga Steps Up Water Security Preparations Ahead Of Super El Niño]
