Punta Engaño residents thirst

CEBU, Philippines - Residents of Barangay Punta Engaño in Lapu-Lapu City are reportedly being pushed to the edge by their thirst after six months of low water supply.

“Ang mga tao dinhi halos nag-wild na,” said Emma Carrillo, 47, of Sitio Lupa, Punta Engaño.

Carrillo said residents in the area are also mad because the privately-owned tanker trucks that deliver their water supply do not have a regular schedule.

“Bantayan gyud sa mga tao dinhi ang pag-abot sa truck, buntag, udto or hapon, taymingon ba,” she said.

Carrillo said with her Metropolitan Cebu Water District connection, the water will sometimes trickle around midnight. She said her family often sacrifices sleep just to fill pails or container for the day’s needs.

When there is no water from the faucet she said they and their neighbors wait outside their houses for the tanker trucks to arrive.

“Maluoy sad ko sa mga tao dinhi kay kada-adlaw maghuwat, kada-adlaw man sila magsawd og tubig kung mo-agi na ang truck,” she said.

She added the whole area of Punta Engaño is suffering from water shortage.

The tanker truck that delivers water only passes once. The driver charges P30 per five-gallon container, while anyone who wants the entire truck’s contents has to pay between P500 to P600.

A group of locals were believed to have barricaded a tanker truck near Mahusay Compound between Sitio Lupa and Sitio Malingin because the driver would just pass by their areas saying the water has been bought.

Residents also complained the drivers would not make water runs and claim the trucks broke down.

Myrna Bancale, a former Punta Engaño councilwoman, said even with the water shortage she wonders why her water bill reaches P3,000 each month.

“Matinga gyud ko nganu naa koy bayranan sa MCWD nga wala ma’y tubig dinhi sa Engaño,” she said. Because of water shortage, she cut off  her water supply since January this year.

Carrillo and Bancale claim the resorts in the barangay buy out the tanker trucks for their guests.

Due to lack of  water, the barangay gets water from barangays Bangkal and Basak, although there are water suppliers in both barangays as well as deep wells.

Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza said she earlier instructed Barangay Captain Lourdes Ibag to coordinate with the Lapu-Lapu City Fire Station if the barangay needs water since MCWD has low water supply. She added she is balancing the city’s emergency needs in case of fire and Punta Engaño’s water issue.

Water interruption explained

MCWD yesterday apologized to its consumers for the water supply interruption in several parts of Lapu-Lapu City.

“We apologize for the inconvenience caused by the emergency repair work. MCWD teams have been working non-stop since Wednesday night until Thursday to restore water supply within today (Thursday),” MCWD statement said.

MCWD public affairs department manager Charmaine Rodriguez-Kara said the service interruption was due to a damaged mainline which was hit by a heavy equipment of a private contractor of the road rehabilitation project in Basak.

She said areas in Lapu-Lapu City that experienced low pressure included barangays Basak, Pajac, Pajo, Sangi and Maribago, among others.

“MCWD’s 12-inch diameter mainline was hit by the heavy equipment of a private contractor of the road project in barangay Basak some time Wednesday night,” the statement read.

The emergency work prompted MCWD to close valves and interrupt the supply to give way for the repairs. It took hours just to drain water from the big pipe to allow MCWD teams to weld together the portion of the pipe that was damaged.

MCWD stressed the importance of coordination between contractors and their office in order to prevent recurring problem of damaged water pipelines.

“We appeal to private contractors to coordinate with MCWD before they excavate roads to avoid hitting MCWD pipelines and causing inconvenience to the public,” MCWD statement continued.

Leak repair works were completed 6:58 p.m. yesterday and as of press time pressure was still being built up, Kara added. — /BRP (FREEMAN)