THE Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CCDRRMC) has reported that 65 fire hydrants across the city are missing.
In an interview on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, CCDRRMC chairman Ramil Ayuman told SunStar Cebu the number is based on records from the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) Cebu City Fire Station.
“It will depend on the MCWD (Metropolitan Cebu Water District) and the new city administration if they believe the missing hydrants should be replaced,” Ayuman said in Cebuano.
According to Ayuman, the inventory process began in April but was temporarily halted in May due to the midterm elections. It resumed in June.
The identification of units that were missing was based solely on MCWD’s existing map that showed the areas where fire hydrants were supposed to be located.
However, official records and the physical presence of the vital firefighting assets do not coincide.
The BFP said of the 385 actual fire hydrants in Cebu City, only 25 are metered, while 285 are not metered.
Cause
MCWD local government unit liaison officer Cesar Pelarca attributed the primary cause of the “missing” hydrants to rapid urban development, particularly road widening and the construction of new buildings.
“Buildings were constructed and some hydrants were hit by road widening. But we were not able to update the office that the hydrant was already removed so in the official records it’s still there,” he said in Cebuano.
Pelarca said the theft of valves is also a significant reason why some hydrants are now defective, rendering them unusable during emergencies.
These stolen valves represent a substantial loss, with each unit costing anywhere between P150,000 to P250,000 depending on its size.
While the MCWD is the primary agency responsible for the maintenance of hydrants and holds the budget, the City Government has expressed willingness to assist.
Ayuman said mayor-elect Nestor Archival has expressed support to install water meters on all fire hydrants.
Ayuman said Archival has suggested that all fire hydrants should be metered to track water consumption and reduce water losses.
Water supplied through hydrants for firefighting is considered non-revenue water (NRW) for MCWD, accounting for about 30 percent of the agency’s entire NRW in previous years.
The NRW which is water lost due to leaks, theft, faulty meters or other issues before reaching consumers, represents a significant revenue loss for the utility. / Antonette Caren Arrabis, CNU Intern