Chairman Rene Villa	Acting Administrator Eduardo Santos

The Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) has mobilized its resources to help repair the water system of Ayungon Water District and restore potable water supply operations there the soonest possible time even as the agency continues to assess and come up with appropriate measures to address the damages wrought to other water districts by the strong February 6, 2012 earthquake measuring 6.9 in the Richter's scale that hit many parts of the Visayas .

LWUA Board Chairman Rene C. Villa and acting Administrator Eduardo Santos flew to Dumaguete City Monday, February 13, 2012 to personally assure water district officials of LWUA's readiness to help Ayungon and other water districts in the area adversely affected by the latest and biggest natural calamity to hit the country since Typhoon Sendong.

The Ayungon Water District suffered major damages in its pipeline network that has forced the stoppage of the delivery of water to its numerous concessionaires since the earthquake. The water district is currently undertaking emergency repairs of the pipeline at the cost of P1.5 million.

Top photo shows LWUA Chairman Rene Villa (left) and Acting Administrator Ed Santos (center) discussing with LWUA 501st Water Batallion head Dr. Edison Cuenca the agency's on site water supply relief operations for quake victimns in Negros Oriental using the mobile filtration equipment partly seen at right. Earlier, the mobile filtration equipment had been used by LWUA for its relief operations in typhoon-hit Cagayan de Oro City. Above, residents line up for safe drinking water.

LWUA area manager for the Visayas , Engr. Enrique Gita said a request for P5 million funding assistance for Ayungon has already been submitted to the LWUA Board for its consideration.

To help address the current shortage in drinking water, Gita said that LWUA has dispatched its mobile water treatment plant previously assigned in the Typhoon Sendong-hit lIigan City to Ayungon along with a volunteer team from the agency's armed forces-affiliated 5th Water Battalion headed by Dr. Edison Cuenca to operate it and help in water distribution or rationing to the residents.

It was reported that the LWUA team narrowly escaped landslides during their deployment to the disaster area.

LWUA officials also went to La Libertad and Guilhulngan City to see how the agency could help as far as providing potable water supply is concerned especially to the victims and evacuees. They also held talks with officials of water districts of Sibulan, Tanjay and Dumaguete on their individual concerns and needs brought about by the earthquake and the previous destructive Typhoon Sendong.

Initial reports that reached the LWUA headquarters in Quezon City have identified at least ten more water districts in Western and Central Visayas suffered damages or adverse effects ranging from water turbidity at sources, increased sand pumping, cracks in facilities such as reservoirs and pumping stations and office buildings. These include the water districts of New Lucena and Zarraga in lIoilo; La Carlota City and Pulupandan in Negros Occidental; Buenavista and Jordan in Guimaras; Metro Cebu, Pinamungajan, and Dalaguete in Cebu; and Bais City in Negros Oriental.

LWUA's mobile filtration equipment: seen action in typhoon-hit Cagayan de Oro City, now serving safe potable water for quake victims in Negros Oriental

According to Engr. Gita, actual costs of damage are being estimated and shall be finalized after the completion of actual ground assessments.

Significantly, no damage however were reported from the water districts of Alimodian, Banate, Calinog, Concepcion, Dingle-Pototan, Duenas, Dumangas- Barotac-Nuevo, Estancia, Igbaras, Janiuay, Lambunao, Lemery and Miag-ao in lloilo: Bacolod City, Himamaylan, La Castellana, Murcia and Sipalay in Negros Occidental; Cuartero, Dao, Dumalag, Dumarao, Libacao, Mambusao, Pilar, President Roxas in Capiz, all water districts in Aklan and Antique; Talibon and Clarin in Bohol, Tanjay, Sibulan, Byawan and Metro Siquijor in Negros Oriental; Carcar, Moalboal, Bogo in Cebu; Leyte Metro, Abuyog, Metro Carigara, Jaro, Baybay, Metro Hilongos and Naval in Leyte; Sogod and Maasin in Sothern Leyte; Guiuan, Borongan, Taft, General McArthur and Llorente in Eastern Samar; Basey, Catbalogan, Calbiga and Calbayog City in Western Samar; and Catarman and San Isidro in Northern Samar.

15 February 2012