IMMEDIATE NEED Volunteers from the Philippine Red Cross Negros Occidental-Bacolod City chapter deliver potable water to communities in La Carlota City hit by ashfall after Mt. Kanlaon鈥檚 April 8 eruption. 鈥擯HOTO COURTESY OF PHILIPPINE RED CROSS
BACOLOD CITY鈥擯otable water is being rationed to about 12,000 residents of two villages in La Carlota City, Negros Occidental, whose water sources were clogged and polluted by ash and sulfur spewed by Mt. Kanlaon during its latest eruption on April 8.
La Carlota City Mayor Rex Jalandoon said ashfall hit Balagacay Springs and Guintubdan Springs in Barangay Araal, where the La Carlota City Water District draws its supply.
鈥淭he ash covered the spring boxes,鈥� he said, noting that at least 3,000 households, or about 12,000 residents, in the villages of Araal and San Miguel were affected.
Jalandoon said water in the Guintubdan spring has gradually returned, but they were still conducting tests to see if it is potable.
One spring in Balagacay, he said, is clogged while the other is contaminated.
Jalandoon said they needed to continue to ration water to residents until the clogged water sources are cleared and the water is tested to determine if it is safe for drinking.
The clearing operation is being done by personnel of the La Carlota City Water District.
The Negros Occidental provincial government and the city governments of Cadiz and Sagay have sent their water filtration trucks to the affected areas to augment the machine used by La Carlota.
Jalandoon said 5,000 20-liter jerrycans have been distributed to residents who queue for their share of potable water from trucks sent to Araal and San Miguel.
The Philippine Red Cross has also helped augment supplies through two tankers carrying potable water.
Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said they were hoping that local water sources would clear up and be used within a week.
鈥淲e should be concerned because water is a need. For now, they cannot use their regular sources of water,鈥� he said.
Mt. Kanlaon鈥檚 explosive eruption on Tuesday was the volcano鈥檚 third big blast since June last year.
This, however, did not lead to more evacuations since the volcano still remains under alert level 3 (high level of volcanic unrest).
There are currently 5,673 displaced residents who have been living in 14 evacuation centers since Mt. Kanlaon鈥檚 second eruption on Dec. 9 last year.
Lacson said the provincial government also sent a water filtration truck to La Castellana town to provide potable water to displaced residents there.
The province has continued providing food to displaced residents still in evacuation centers.
Face masks, medicines, and nebules for nebulizers have also been distributed to residents in La Carlota and La Castellana, while medical teams were sent to these localities to monitor the health condition of community members.