A SEVERE water crisis has affected thousands of residents for days in Barangay Subabasbas, Lapu-Lapu City.
According to Subabasbas Barangay Captain Ruben Patigdas the water supply interruption stemmed from power issues affecting the water source managed by Mactan Rock Industries, a supplier of Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD).
Without electricity, the deep wells that feed the system were unable to pump water.
“The source lost power, so they couldn’t distribute water. We were not even given an advisory beforehand. We had to call MCWD ourselves to get answers,” Patigdas said.
As residents grapple with the water shortage for days, the local barangay council and community members have raised concerns as many households have gone without running water for days.
Patigdas said residents, including himself, were forced to fetch water from other areas just to meet their basic needs.
“Before this, water flowing from the faucet was already weak for more than a month. But just this Wednesday, we started receiving nonstop complaints from residents that there was no water at all,” Patigdas said in an interview.
“Some of us couldn’t even report for work because there was no water for bathing or preparing food,” he added.
He said while there were short-term interventions, such as limited water deliveries that lasted only an hour or two, these were not enough to meet the needs of the thousands of residents in the barangay.
The barangay estimates that around 5,000 to 8,000 individuals are being affected by the water crisis.
Some relief came from Rep. Junard “Ahong” Chan and neighboring barangays, but long-term water infrastructure solutions were urged.
Chan took action by coordinating with concerned agencies and assisting in mobilizing water supply support, while neighboring barangays, such as Maribago, provided water deliveries through tankers.
While some areas saw water return around 5 p.m. on Thursday, supply remained unstable. Some residents reported getting water for only two hours a day; others had none at all until Friday, July 4.
Adding to the problem is the increased demand from newly-developed subdivisions in the area, which Patigdas believes have overloaded the existing water infrastructure.
“This is not just an inconvenience anymore. This is a wake-up call for all of us. We need an alternative water source, especially in times of emergency,” said Patigdas.
For most residents, the lack of water posed more challenges in their everyday life. They fear that this lack of supply would only add to their monthly bills.
“There’s no water for us to use, in taking a bath or while making food and in the end, MCWD would still charge us,” a resident said.
The barangay is now appealing to the MCWD and other agencies to provide a long-term solution.
Patigdas also stressed the need for better communication, advance advisories, and improvements to water infrastructure, especially as the heat and public health concerns make the need for water more urgent.
“We were left in the dark. We cannot let this continue,” Patigdas said. / via Yvon Maratas, Benedicto College Intern, and Dane Riechel Oja, VSU Intern