Alegria, Cebu Mayor Gilberto Magallon declared a state of calamity on June 29, 2026, to release emergency funds after a severe water crisis left 11,600 residents without direct tap water access.
The crisis impacts 44 percent of the town's 26,520 residents across barangays Madridejos, Valencia, and Compostela, stemming from damaged transmission pipes caused by Typhoon Odette and subsequent municipal road concreting projects.
The local government secured a temporary verbal agreement to draw water from the Badian supply network and has requested urgent financial and administrative assistance from the Cebu Provincial Government.
THE southwestern town of Alegria, Cebu has officially declared a state of calamity after a severe water crisis cut off running water for nearly half of its residents. Mayor Gilberto Magallon announced the declaration on Monday, June 29, 2026, to help the local government quickly release emergency funds. Over 11,600 people are currently living without direct access to tap water, creating an urgent situation for the community.
A problem of pipes, not supply
The crisis currently impacts approximately 44 percent of Alegria's population, specifically across the three barangays of Madridejos, Valencia and Compostela. For a third-class municipality with 26,520 registered residents according to the 2025 census, the shortage has created massive daily challenges. While the town is well-known for its natural water attractions like the Cancalanog and Kanlaob falls, the local government explained that the current shortage is a problem of distribution rather than a lack of supply.
The crisis stems from a combination of unresolved project flaws, natural disasters and conflicting infrastructure developments over the last decade. The issues began with a P95-million water system project funded by the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) initiated around 2015 and 2016. The project faced implementation issues and left several components uncompleted, but it was ultimately turned over to and accepted by the Municipal Government under the administration of the mayor's wife, Verna Magallon, who was serving as mayor at the time.
“Long story, because before we have a project with the PRDP and I think there was a problem with page-implementation and we have a list and ang uban ato wala ma-realize,” Mayor Magallon said. “Na-turn over na lang, gikuha nalang namo, gidawat nalang namo and then unfortunately, naigo mi sa Odette.”
Typhoons and road work shatter water lines
When super typhoon Odette struck in 2021, it caused severe infrastructure damage throughout the town, including destroying a key bridge leading to Inghoy, Valencia. Because Alegria relies on surface water from local creeks, the typhoon's subsequent flooding and debris shattered the main transmission pipes.
The water network suffered further damage during subsequent road development projects. Because the existing water lines had been laid directly beneath or adjacent to municipal roads, subsequent road concreting operations inadvertently cut through the underground pipes.
“Napauna man gud ang among project sa water sa PRDP and then naulahi ang mga concreting sa road,” Magallon explained. “So, pag-concreting sa road, nangaputol pud ang among pag-concrete nila tungod kay ang mga pipes naa pud uban dapit sa karsada, ang uban naa sa tunga sa karsada. So, pag-concreting, naapil pud siya. So, it's really a big challenge for us.”
Residents grow desperate as town seeks temporary help
The prolonged lack of supply has led to growing desperation among local households. Mayor Magallon emphasized the urgency of the situation, noting that public anxiety is rising as families struggle to secure daily necessities.
“If there is no water, in three days you will die... in three days without water, ang mga tawo mag-wild na gyud. So, mao na nga mura'g makahandog kaayo, daghan kaayong nag-complain karon, so, we have to make a move,” Magallon said.
To provide immediate relief, the Municipal Government has secured a temporary verbal agreement with neighboring Badian Mayor Jerome Librando. Under this arrangement, Alegria is permitted to draw water from Badian’s supply network to temporarily service residents in the Barangay Balhaan area.
“Sila may naay tubig didto, nanghangyo mi didto and that's why very happy that the Municipal Mayor Jerome Librando, na-okay sad siya, ug ang kapitan sa Badian, so, nagkuha mi'g tubig diha pero ang Balahaan ra pud area,” Magallon said.
The search for a long-term solution
While the local declaration allows the Municipal Government to expedite internal budgeting and finance processes, local resources remain insufficient for a permanent fix. Restoring a stable and accessible water supply has become the town's primary objective, prompting local officials to seek external interventions.
The Municipality has made an urgent appeal to Gov. Pamela Baricuatro and the Provincial Government for immediate administrative and financial support.
"I hope Guv Pam and the Provincial Government can also help us with our problem with water. So, this is also one of our urgent requests from the governor," Magallon said.
Moving forward, the local government's main challenge is securing the long-term funding required to completely overhaul and repair the damaged piping network. Fixing these broken lines remains the primary barrier to finally restoring water to the affected barangays. / CDF
