EDITORIAL - We are now feeling El Niño's devastating effects

With the Buhisan Dam in Cebu City almost drying up and Metro Cebu suffering from shortage of water, the El Niño weather phenomenon has really taken its toll on Cebuanos.

A report by the Cebu City Hall said at least P75 million worth of agricultural products were lost to El Niño in the city. City agriculturist Joelito Baclayon said over 50 percent of the city's agricultural production had been damaged by the dry spell.

The continuing drought also means a shortage of flowers during the Flores de Mayo celebration, Baclayon said. "That's why we are discouraging them to go on massive production because our rain pattern is not normal," he said.

Compared to other areas in the country, Cebu has been spared from the serious effects of the dry spell as of this moment. But this does not mean the province can eventually escape the onslaught of the weather phenomenon.

According to the latest weather bulletin of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services, the El Niño is expected to last until August. And Cebu will eventually succumb to its full effects given all the signs that it is now experiencing.

The water shortage that we are experiencing nowadays has been largely attributed to the dry spell. In fact, the Metro Cebu Water District has been posting advisories about water interruptions brought about by the scarcity of the supply.

This is not to say we have been caught with our pants down over the onslaught of the dry spell. We have been warned by the weather bureau as early as middle of last year about the El Niño.

Unfortunately, local authorities have not outlined any measures that would have helped lessen the effects of the drought. Now we are beginning to feel its devastating consequences.

Had our authorities put in place some measures, Cebuanos would have been better prepared against the effects of the whether phenomenon. And the water shortage could have been prevented.