• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Shortage of drinking water is now being experienced by about 3,000 households in two barangays of La Carlota City, Negros Occidental, following the minor explosive eruption of Kanlaon Volcano on April 8.
Mayor Rex Jalando-on said yesterday that the ashfall contaminated and clogged two of the three spring water sources of the local water district in Barangay Ara-al.
This affected about 3,000 households, composed of about 10,000 to 12,000 individuals, who are residents of Ara-al 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 as a response to the call for help on the shortage of potable water.
Jalando-on said the city government also purchased a water filtration machine.
The Bureau of Fire and Protection, local government units of Victorias, Silay, Bago, Kabankalan and Murcia, and Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry also sent their respective water tankers to flush ash-hit areas.
Jalando-on reported a drop in water pressure in the barangays of La Granja, Nagasi, Yubo, and Haguimit while the water supply at the Poblacion remains unaffected.
Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said the province has sent water filtration tankers to both La Castellana and La Carlota.
The provincial government also dispatched doctors and nurses, medicines and 16,000 face masks to the affected residents in La Castellana and La Carlota, who have been staying at the evacuation centers for four months now, following the explosive eruption of Kanlaon Volcano last Dec. 9.
Lacson said they will continue to provide hot meals to the affected residents who are staying in evacuation centers through the community kitchens.
Claud Jan Marquez, disaster response operations monitoring and information communication focal person of the Department of Social Welfare and Development-Western Visayas, said 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 eruption.
As of April 9, a total of 1,770 families in La Castellana, La Carlota City, cities of Bago and San Carlos are staying at 14 evacuation centers while 2,680 families are staying with their friends or relatives. | GB
