MCWD sends water trucks to CDO

CEBU, Philippines - The Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) has sent two water trucks to Cagayan de Oro to augment the distribution of clean water supply to areas badly affected by typhoon Sendong.

MCWD Manager Armando Paredes said that their assistance will be directly to the Cagayan de Oro Water District whose distribution capacity was decreased to 20 percent after the flashflood caused major damages to their distribution lines.

“We ask them unsa ilang kinahanglan and they told us that their problem is with the distribution of water kay ang water system nila, nagkaguba tanan. And I said, can we help by sending water trucks? They told it is actually what they need right now,” Paredes said.

There are over 500 water districts all over the country and Paredes said that it is common for them to help when one water district is in a crisis.

MCWD is willing to send two trucks with a 10-cubic meter capacity. MCWD will provide the fuel and the manpower.

Paredes said that they will coordinate with the Cagayan de Oro Water District where the trucks must be deployed.

“Hopefully, we can help alleviate the water scarcity,” he said.

The water trucks are schedule to be shipped via 2Go courier service of ATS Consolidated Inc. for free. The trucks are expected to arrive this morning and immediately start distributing water to the affected areas.

In the aftermath of tropical storm Sendong, one of the most pressing problems was the lack of access to drinking water. The residents badly need clean water to drink, bathe and clean up.

Paredes said that CDO Water District is down to 20 percent capacity and it will take more or less a month before things go back to normal.

The trucks will augment the water distribution operation for one week but they may extend depending on the assessment.

MCWD has four water trucks. Three trucks have a 10-cubic meter capacity while the other has five-cubic meter capacity. Paredes assured that their operation here will not be affected by the deployment of two trucks to help the victims of the recent disaster in CDO.

Andres Casal, water and habitat coordinator of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in the Philippines, said the ICRC immediately mobilized emergency support for the relief operations led by its local partner, the Philippine Red Cross.  (FREEMAN)