The town of San Isidro, amid continued water shortage brought by a dry spell, is considering to declare a state of calamity.
According to Mayor Diosdado Gementiza, the local government unit has convened its Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council and agriculture authorities to direct them to gather more data to assess the “damage” of the dry spell and to be used as basis should they decide to declare a state of calamity.
Gementiza admitted that San Isidro has limited resources to address the issue given that it is a fifth-class municipality.
San Isidro which is an agricultural municipality has not been able to provide adequate water supply to its farmlands due to the shortage, as local farmers were only able to plant palay in “25 percent” of the town’s estimated 500-hectare rice fields.
Gementiza said that the water shortage has led to the depletion of the town’s rice supply.
“Twenty-five percent lang ang natanuman unya out of 25 percent, 50 percent pa g’yud ang nakaani. So dako g’yud kaayo og epekto sa supply sa bugas sa among lungsod,” he added.
Meanwhile, San Isidro has resorted to water rationing for households in at least three of the town’s 12 barangays.
“Naa tay gigamit na mo deliver og tubig nila para ma-inom, ration na siya every day,” said Gementiza.
The town has started efforts to come up with long-term solutions to the water shortage including the expansion of its existing water-impounding facility located in Barangay Masunoy.
Gementiza noted that San Isidro has enough water sources, but the town has limited financial resources to establish facilities for its processing and delivery.
San Isidro would become the fifth town to be placed under calamity status next to Sierra Bullones, Candijay, President Carlos P. Garcia (PCPG) and Antequera if the town’s local government unit makes the declaration.
The LGUs of Sierra Bullones, PCPG, Candijay and Antequera placed their municipalities under a state of calamity on August 22, September 9, September 25 and September 30, respectively. (A. Doydora)