Water shortage in Quezon’s Alabat town disrupts farming, coconut sap production

MANILA — The town of Alabat, one of three municipalities on Alabat Island in Quezon province, has been grappling with a water shortage for seven months. It has disrupted drinking water supply and the livelihoods of farmers, who grow rice and produce coconut sap.

Water supply began declining in March, prompting the local government to declare a state of calamity in May and begin rationing water to households, Mayor Eizelle Avellano-Canimo told DZMM TeleRadyo.

“Ang kailangan namin supply ng tubig ay 13 liters per second, ang nakukuha lang po naman ay 9-10 liters per second,” the mayor said.

(We need water supply of 13 liters per second but only get 9-10 liters per second.)

The prolonged heat associated with El Niño has further depleted water from springs and deep wells, leaving the municipality struggling to meet residents’ needs.

Donated intermediate bulk containers (IBCs) have arrived to help store water for emergencies.

Avellano-Canimo said the town wants to store at least 200,000 liters that will be good for sixx hours of water use in case of severe shortage.

Seven barangays have also been affected by a lack of irrigation water, preventing farmers from planting rice and other crops.

“Dahil nga po walang tubig ang aming irigasyon kaya hindi ngayon makapagtanim, imbes na nag-aani wala po,” she said.

(Because we don’t have water for irrigation, we cannot plant. We are supposed to be harvesting crops now.)

The shortage has also hit the island’s coco sap industry, a major source of livelihood for local residents. Extreme heat has sharply reduced sap production from coconut trees, delaying deliveries to customers.

The mayor said the town will not be able to meet an order of 5.2 tons of sap for a client in Taguig City.

“Kaunti lang yung lumalabas na cocosap doon sa niyog dahil sa sobrang init din po,” the mayor said.

(Because of the heat, we don’t get a lot of cocosap.)

Avellano-Canimo appealed for government assistance to establish a water desalination plant that could convert seawater into drinking water, citing the island’s access to Lamon Bay and the Pacific Ocean.

She also called for funding to build water-impounding facilities to store water and help prevent shortages during the dry season.

The proposed projects would provide alternative water sources and strengthen the municipality’s ability to cope with prolonged dry conditions, the mayor said.