Cebu City mountain barangays to get steady water supply as threats of El Niño effects loom

Local

RESIDENTS in some of Cebu City’s mountain barangays will soon have a steady and accessible water supply, just in time for the looming effects of El Niño.

Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia, on Wednesday, April 23, led the commissioning of major water infrastructure projects in upland areas, including three new distribution lines and two mobile siphon tanks.

This is the city’s ongoing efforts to address long-standing water scarcity in highland communities, particularly during the dry season.

Garcia inaugurated distribution lines in Barangays Malubog, Budlaan, and Agsungot, and activated water tanks in Barangays Buot and Paril.

These areas have been identified as key sources and delivery points for water tankers servicing surrounding sitios.

Each site is now equipped with 4,000- and 2,000-liter tanks to ensure residents can draw water directly when needed.

“This is long overdue…The permits for these projects were approved under the previous administration, but the implementation was delayed for over a year. We now have water reaching the mountain barangays,” Garcia said during a press conference.

“These sites will now serve as refilling points for our tankers, making water more accessible and reducing turnaround times,” he added.

The new infrastructure follows earlier initiatives launched by the city government earlier this month.

On April 10, Garcia announced the deployment of 100 community water tanks and a fleet of 10 water tankers to address supply gaps across 57 identified barangays—13 in the south district and 44 in the north.

The Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CCDRRMO) also conducted inspections at potential water sources, including Mangyapyap Falls in Barangay Paril and the Bonbon River, both of which were deemed viable.

To ensure the safety of collected water, the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) committed to deploying water treatment units using Membrane Separation Technology in Bonbon and Paril.

The recent commissioning is a follow-through on infrastructure efforts set in motion last year, when Garcia signed excavation permits for MCWD’s waterline projects that had been pending at City Hall since March 2023.

The permits covered distribution lines in the upland barangays of Pulangbato, Binaliw, Cambinocot, Guba, Busay, and Agsungot.

MCWD General Manager Edgar Donoso previously said that construction could take around six months after permit approval. The newly operational sites are among the first to go online.

Garcia also said the city has acquired additional equipment, including five new water tankers and 100 large water containers, to expand its response capacity.(TGP)