• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Eleven of the 19 barangays of Himamaylan City in Negros Occidental are experiencing water shortages, according to Mayor Raymund Tongson.
Tongson disclosed that the extreme heat brought on by the El Niño phenomenon has caused even water in deep wells to dry up.
A total of 18,507 families, composed of 30,825 individuals, are suffering from severe water scarcity, he added.
To address the problem, Tongson said the city government is providing drinking water to affected residents, and mobile water stations have been set up, while a water filter machine was also set up by the provincial government, with its waste water being distributed to residents for their laundry needs.
The Himamaylan city government has recorded agricultural losses valued at P2.4 million from 104.95 hectares of partially damaged crops, as financial assistance from the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation is currently being processed.
Tongson also reported that affected palay farmers have been provided with vegetable seeds.
He added that they are awaiting the recommendation of the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council on whether to declare a state of calamity, as 11 of its 19 barangays are facing water shortages.*
