CEBU, Philippines – Cebu City’s water system was among the many topics highlighted during the visit of city officials to some of its sister-cities in Europe the past week.
Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella, together with sister-city Commissioner Chairman Tony Cuenco, lawyer Jerone Castillo and Cebu City Protocol Officer Leslie Reyes visited Haarlemmermeer in the Netherlands and Kortrijk in Belgium.
Labella, together with Cuenco and Castillo, went to Kortrijk for a discussion on effective water system, resource management and sanitation.
In his presentation, Labella discussed the water situation in Cebu City stating Cebu’s socio-economic activities heavily rely on waters from small enterprises of fishing to the manufacturing of local delicacies.
He pointed out that Cebu’s rivers play a big role in the city’s water supply. He added that the Metro Cebu Water District (MCWD) identifies surface waters from rivers as potential long term water supply. Labella also included the different issues and crisis that the city is currently facing in terms of water management such as initial reports of salt water intrusion from over extraction of ground water, water contamination, and the growing number of communities living alongside the creek who are persistent in staying in their homes there.
“We believe that it is not yet too late. It is proud to note that the responsibility of protecting and preserving our waters are shared between the government, different groups and non-government organizations, households and individual citizens,” Labella said.
“Citizens have taken to clean the creeks and canals in their areas. Civil organizations have organized massive river clean-ups. Schools are exploring the potentials of our waters through researches. Even Cebuano artists are building on the river culture through poems, songs and activities by the river bank. Our role in the government is making sure that the waters remain clean and in monitoring human activities that affect our water,” he added.
Labella said that the city government is working closely with MCWD for the moratorium on farther extraction where no permits shall be issued for additional drilling of wells.
Also, with the constant population growth and the growing industrialization of the city, by 2030 the city plans for the sourcing out of water to five municipalities including in Carcar and Carmen, both in the southern and northern part of Cebu. —/ATO (FREEMAN)