Abrigo: Petrichor

WHEN state weather bureau Pagasa announced on February 20, 2019 the entering of weak El Niño, many sighed for petrichor – the scent of rain on dry earth, or the scent of dust after the rain. That in a matter of two months the weak El Niño rendered P8-million damage to rice fields in Magsaysay, Davao del Sur and in some parts of Compostela Valley.

In many instances weather forecasts failed because the weather pattern is changing. Like for instance, three weeks after the announcement about El Niño, Malita in Davao Occidental turned to be a touchdown point of Tropical Depression Chedeng, nobody expects because Malita was last visited by a typhoon in 1970. Typhoon Titang was well remembered because it claimed a hundred lives, five decades ago.

Chedeng temporarily displaced about 8,000 individuals in Davao region, but the pouring addressed the hankering of petrichor only because just before the sky was cleared, Pagasa announced that El Niño will continue until June.

At any rate, Davao city and the region as a whole is still blessed compared to the greater Manila area where scarcity of potable water supply nettled thousands of consumers of the both Maynilad and MWSS concessions.

The officials of both concessioners and the government are pointing their accusing fingers on who is to be blamed for being caught of the crisis flatfooted. Until it was found out that aside from the slight shrinkage of water in the basin, a construction of a new Dam has to be introduced. To the men behind the manipulation, bravo! It appears that Chinese contractor timely came like a superman to save the capital Manila from its looming water crisis, no objection.

At par with any bragging highly urbanized cities, Davao maintained its abundance of sweet potable water budding fresh from the pedestal of Mt. Apo.

Our local leaders are farsighted to the population growth and the future demand of water. All stakeholders took care of the water sources and maintained sanitation as it is delivered generously to the consumers at a very pocket-friendly rate.

Without worries for a drinking water, we expect announcement from Pag-asa anytime soon of their “guess” on how long El Niño will spell in the country for two reasons: one, to at least caution the farmers to take necessary preparations if only to avoid further agricultural loss (God forbid); and obviously because we yearn a petrichor this summer.

abrigodann@gmail.com

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