There are 4,468 households with about 15,425 members affected by the water shortage that has hit Himamaylan City in Negros Occidental.
Those affected are from barangays Carabalan, San Antonio, Cabadiangan, Mahalang, Tooy, Cabanbanan, Suay, Nabalian and Libacao, said Joefil Sombilon, Research and Planning Section head of the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office, on Friday, March 15.
Most of these areas are upland barangays where wells have dried up. Their water supply has been affected by the extreme heat brought on by the El Niño phenomenon, he said.
The city government will be rationing water in the affected barangays.
Irene Bel Ploteña, Negros Occidental Provincial Disaster Management Program Division head, said the provincial government lent its water filtration system to Himamaylan to ensure that residents have potable water.
The output will be tested to ensure that the water is potable, Sombilon said.
The critical barangays in terms of drinking water Cabadiangan, Mahalang and Cabanbanan, he said.
The drought has also caused damage to agriculture in 11 of 19 barangays in Himamaylan, Sombilon said.*