WATER RATIONING. Personnel of the Bureau of Fire Protection deliver water in Barangay Nalasin, Solsona, Ilocos Norte on April 24, 2024. Solsona town has been placed under state of calamity due to drought. (Photo courtesy of BFP Solsona)
LAOAG CITY – The town of Solsona in Ilocos Norte has been placed under the state of calamity for authorities to address further the worsening situation caused by the El Niño phenomenon.
“We are now under state of calamity because of drought. By placing the entire municipality, the barangays (villages) can now use their calamity fund to address urgent intervention against El Niño,” Vice Mayor Jonathan De Lara said in a media interview on Thursday
Initial damage to crops and livestock are placed to have reached around PHP7 million so far, and local government estimates show that around 186 farmers have already lost livelihood due to water scarcity.
Solsona information officer lawyer Alfonso Jeziel delos Reyes told the Philippine News Agency that the declaration was made on April 22 but was only announced during the day.
He said the municipality has a quick response fund of around PHP2.5 million.
"Since (the municipality has been) declared as (under the) state of calamity, we can use this amount to address (the impact of the) drought," he added.
Delos Reyes said several interventions are already being implemented such as water rationing to affected villages.
He said the municipality also plans to purchase water filters to ensure that drinking water is safe.
The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) is rationing water to villages in elevated areas experiencing water shortage due to the dry spell.
“In a day, our firetrucks make rounds for about 15 times rationing water to at least three barangays in need of water for residential use. We start as early as 6 a.m. and finish around midnight to reach out remote areas with no access to water supply,” Fire Officer 2 John Bumanglag said in a phone interview.
He said the rationing was in response to the request of the Solsona government.
The BFP in Solsona town has two firetrucks ready for use in the water rationing. Another one is on standby in case of emergency.
“This is the worst drought we have experienced so far. Even our water pumps used for farming are hard up to pump out water,” Macon Dawey, a resident of Barangay Maan-anteng told the Philippine News Agency.
Barangay Maan-anteng is among the 15 of the 22 municipal’s villages that have been hit hard by the dry spell. (PNA)
