GUIMARAS – The town of Buenavista in Guimaras has declared a state of calamity due to severe water shortages caused by the ongoing drought, attributed to the El Niño phenomenon.
The declaration was officially made on March 25 yet but the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Region 6 received just this April 18 a copy.
The Sangguniang Bayan of Buenavista cited Memorandum Order No. 60, Series of 2019 of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) setting the conditions for the declaration.
The conditions included widespread destruction to agriculture such as fishponds, crops, poultry, livestock, and other agricultural products, along with the disruption of essential lifelines. These lifelines included the food supply chain, electricity, potable water systems, transportation, communication, access to health services, and other systems critical to daily functioning, which cannot be promptly restored.
According to a report from the Buenavista Water District, approximately 63.75% of the 7,145 water concessionaires in the district are significantly affected by the water shortage.
In response, local authorities are planning to allocate funds for the procurement of essential resources such as a water tanker with at least 16,000 liters capacity and a delivery truck to augment the water rationing in areas severely affected by the El Niño Phenomenon.
Buenavista, a second-class municipality and the largest settlement in the province of Guimaras, comprises 36 barangays and had a population of 52,899 according to the 2020 census.
The state of calamity is intended to mobilize and expedite the distribution of resources and support to the affected populace./PN
