The Cebu City Government gathered officials and stakeholders on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026, to develop a coordinated response for potential water shortages and crop damage as a moderate to strong El Niño persists.
City Agriculture Officer Joey Baclayon reported that 13,700 registered farmers cultivate around 8,730 hectares, facing risks from reduced rainfall following 138 affected agricultural hectares documented in May and June 2026.
Kenneth Siasar, chief of staff to Mayor Nestor Archival, stated that officials are evaluating alternative water sources like artesian wells, monitoring waterways, and considering a possible state of calamity declaration if conditions worsen.
CEBU City is preparing for reduced rainfall that officials warn could strain water supplies, damage crops and leave some upland communities facing water shortages.
The City Government gathered barangay officials, water suppliers, farmers, irrigators and government agencies on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026, to develop a coordinated response covering immediate needs and longer-term preparations.
The weather bureau’s Aug. 26 assessment said a moderate to strong El Niño was present in the tropical Pacific and could persist into the first half of 2027, potentially reaching a very strong state before the end of 2026.
Kenneth Siasar, chief of staff to Mayor Nestor Archival, said the City was preparing for reduced rainfall based on an assessment presented during the summit covering September through February 2027.
“In September, El Niño does not mean there will be no rain. There will be rain, but less of it. Come October, November and December, rainfall will decrease further, and this will continue until February next year,” he said in a mix of Cebuano and English.
While the outlook supports preparations for drier conditions, it does not mean rainfall will decline every successive month in every locality or that El Niño will end in February.
Water availability and safety
The City’s concern involves both securing enough water and determining whether alternative sources are safe to use.
Siasar said officials were informed that Cebu City has more than 400 artesian wells, roughly divided between the North and South districts, which barangays could assess as potential alternative sources if shortages worsen.
However, some wells have not undergone water testing, so their water cannot automatically be considered safe to drink.
The City Environment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro) will continue monitoring waterways amid concerns about pollution and fecal contamination, Siasar said.
He said some upland residents still use streams for bathing, washing clothes and other household activities.
The City is looking into possible sources of contamination, including wastewater from piggeries and improperly managed household septic systems.
Siasar said Cenro personnel found some piggeries discharging wastewater directly into streams, although the summit account did not identify the affected waterways or provide laboratory results.
Private water suppliers joined the discussions so the City could determine how they might augment supplies if conditions worsen.
Risks to farms and food supply
City Agriculture Officer Joey Baclayon said Cebu City has around 13,700 registered farmers, many of them in its 28 upland barangays.
He said around 8,730 hectares are cultivated, producing sweet corn, bananas, cut flowers, ornamental plants, lettuce and other vegetables.
Many upland farmers depend on rainfall to grow their crops, leaving them vulnerable when rain becomes scarce.
Baclayon said the City documented 138 hectares of agricultural land affected by dry conditions in May and June 2026, involving hundreds of farmers.
He also reported that only eight upland irrigation facilities were functional as of the latest assessment, although the total number of facilities needs clarification because the figures presented did not add up.
Water shortages and heat stress also threaten livestock, including cattle, pigs and goats.
Baclayon said reduced farm production could affect supplies reaching local markets.
The City plans to prioritize upland communities expected to experience shortages first, including parts of the North District such as Barangays Adlaon and Taptap.
Baclayon said water sources in some South District communities, including Sudlon, were expected to withstand dry conditions better, although the basis for that comparison was not detailed in the summit account.
Farming measures
Officials discussed emergency water sources, irrigation rehabilitation, rainwater harvesting and storage facilities, small farm impounding facilities and solar-powered water pumps.
Some of these measures overlap with projects for which the City had already approved funding.
In June, the City reported a P30-million allocation under Supplemental Budget 1 for measures including irrigation repairs, new water facilities and solar-powered pumps.
The summit account did not specify which previously funded projects had been completed or which proposals would require additional funding.
The agriculture office is also considering drought-tolerant crop varieties, changes in planting calendars and methods to conserve soil moisture.
Baclayon said the City plans to establish demonstration farms in the North and South districts to show farmers climate-resilient and sustainable farming practices.
Farmers are also being encouraged to register for crop and livestock insurance through the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. to help protect them financially against covered losses.
Coordinated response
Siasar said the summit sought to bring together recommendations that barangay officials and other stakeholders had been making separately.
The workshop was expected to produce a short-, medium- and long-term roadmap covering water security, agriculture and disaster preparedness.
The City is coordinating with its disaster risk reduction and management office, Cenro, the Metropolitan Cebu Water District, the Department of Agriculture, barangays, irrigators and private water suppliers.
Officials are also considering a possible declaration of a state of calamity if El Niño’s effects become severe.
Under Republic Act 10121, the City Council may issue a local declaration upon the recommendation of the local disaster risk reduction and management council, based on a damage assessment and needs analysis.
However, the City does not have to wait for a calamity declaration to fund preparedness measures, as the law already allows local disaster funds to support such activities.
Siasar said the decision on a possible declaration would depend on the workshop’s findings and conditions in the coming months.
For now, he said, the City is focusing on preparations before shortages become more severe. / CAV