• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
A shortage of drinking water is being experienced by about 3,000 households in two barangays of La Carlota City, Negros Occidental, in the aftermath of the minor explosive eruption of Kanlaon Volcano on April 8.
Mayor Rex Jalando-on disclosed on Thursday that ash fall contaminated and clogged two of the three spring water sources of the local water district in Brgy. Ara-al, La Carlota City, which affected 3,000 households, composed of about 10,000 to 12,000 individuals, who are residents of the barangay and the neighboring village of San Miguel.
The provincial government of Negros Occidental, cities of Cadiz and Sagay, and Philippine Red Cross have sent water filtration tankers to conduct water rationing, in response to the call for help on the shortage of potable water, according to Jalando-on.
He added that the La Carlota City government also purchased a water filtration machine.
The Bureau of Fire and Protection, local government units of Victorias, Silay, Bago, Kabankalan and Murcia, Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry also sent their respective water tankers to flush away ash hit areas.
Jalando-on also reported a drop of water pressure in the barangays of La Granja, Nagasi, Yubo, and Haguimit in La Carlota City, but the water supply at the poblacion remains unaffected.
Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said that they have already sent two water filtration tankers to La Castellana and La Carlota, whose residents are experiencing lack of supply on potable water.
The provincial government of Negros Occidental also dispatched doctors and nurses, medicine, and 16,000 face masks to affected residents in La Castellana and La Carlota, who have been staying at the evacuation centers for more than four months, following the second eruption of Kanlaon Volcano in December 9 last year.
Claud Jan Marquez, Disaster Response Operations Monitoring and Information Communication Focal Person of the Department of Social Welfare and Development Field Office 6, reported that an additional 127 families have sought refuge with their relatives, while four others trooped to the evacuation center in La Carlota City, following the April 8 Kanlaon Volcano eruption.
Marquez disclosed that as of April 9, a total of 1,770 families in La Castellana, La Carlota City, cities of Bago and San Carlos, are now staying at 14 evacuation centers, while 2,680 families are staying outside of evacuation centers.
On the other hand, Lacson said they will continue to provide hot meals, through its community kitchens, to affected residents who are staying inside evacuation centers.*
