Puerto Galera under state of calamity due to water crisis

The Sangguniang Bayan last July 10 passed a resolution declaring the municipality under a state of calamity due to the water crisis. Municipal Resolution No. 2018-07-094 quoted the report of the waterworks office that 9 out of Puerto Galera’s 13 barangays are experiencing severe water shortages due mainly to the decreasing water level of both Baclayan and Dimayuga reservoirs.

Edwin Macatangay of the waterworks office said that the water sources located at Novinasan, Managan and Dimayuga are not producing sufficient water to supply the needs of the barangays.

The water sources only produce around 4000 cubic meters of water per day which is way below the daily of average 7000 cubic meters. The decrease further widened the gap between the daily demand of the municipality which is 10,000 cubic meters per day and what can be supplied by the waterworks office.

The worsening situation with more than 60 percent of the residents experiencing water shortages is alarming and necessitates immediate action.

Furthermore, the resolution states that both the municipal disaster and risk reduction management council and the association of barangay chairmen passed a resolution enjoining municipal officials to find and implement the quickest solutions to the current water crisis.

Mayor Rockey Ilagan said that he has a short term or immediate solution for the Baclayan reservoir which supplies water to Sabang, Sinandigan, Palangan, Poblacion, Sto. Nino, Balatero, San Antonio and Small Tabinay. The plan is to tap more springs in Baclayan as additional water sources for the reservoir.

Mayor Ilagan said his medium term plan includes the development and construction of another reservoir in Ponderosa and improvement of the Dimayuga Reservoir which will supply water to Balatero, San Isidro (White Beach) and Aninuan.

Once Balatero is connected to the Ponderosa Reservoir, this will lessen the load for the Baclayan Reservoir by around 25% which will improve water supply to Poblacion, Sabang and others.

The Mayor is appealing to residents to report leaking pipes to the waterworks office and to always conserve water. The Mayor instructed the waterworks office to immediately fix and plug-up all leaking pipes.

Financial aid

Upon receiving the Sangguniang Bayan resolution, the Mayor immediately went to Manila to find funding sources for the rehabilitation and construction of the water system.

In one occasion, Mayor Ilagan gate-crashed the command conference of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) to impress upon the surprised national government officials the urgency and seriousness of the current water crisis of Puerto Galera.

The Mayor presented the resolution declaring a state of calamity to Undersecretary Ricardo Jalad, Assistant Secretary Nicanor Faeldon and MIMAROPA Regional Director Eugene Cabrera, all from the OCD.

Fascinated by the Mayor’s impassioned presentation and aggressiveness, the 3 officials pledged immediate national government support. They asked that the Mayor submit the program of works and costing of all projects for possible funding by the national government.

Being in a state of calamity, all projects will be fast-tracked to immediately end the water crisis.

A couple of weeks later, Mayor Rockey Ilagan returned to the OCD and submitted the required documents. The OCD pledged a total of 173 million pesos to end the water crisis of Puerto Galera.

The Mayor said 44 million pesos might be downloaded within this year which will be used to construct new reservoirs and to rehabilitate the pipelines going to White Beach, Sabang and Poblacion. The remaining 129 million pesos hopefully will be downloaded next year, the Mayor added.

The Mayor said the funds will not only end the water crisis but will ensure sufficient supply of potable water to all the barangays.

The Mayor said that he will also go to the Governor, Congressmen and Senators to financially aid the municipal government in its quest to finally provide clean, potable and sufficient water supply to all the barangays of Puerto Galera.