A consumer watchdog has raised alarm over growing water shortages across Cebu Province, linking the crisis to uneven and delayed power restoration efforts following typhoon Tino.
Power Disparities Fuel Water Crisis
The Cebu Electricity Rights Advocates (Cera) issued a stark warning that unstable electricity supply to water pumping stations has triggered what they call "intolerable and avoidable" service interruptions outside Metro Cebu. The group contrasted the faster restoration progress in Metro Cebu handled by Visayan Electric Company with the slow and inconsistent efforts in areas served by the Cebu Electric Cooperatives (Cebeco).
Nathaniel Chua, Cera convenor, emphasized the alarming disparity: "There is an alarming pattern between the speed of recovery in Cebu City and the hardship being endured in Cebu Province." He noted that thousands of households have struggled for days without water as blackouts persist.
Sanitation and Health Risks Escalate
The prolonged power outages have led to dry taps, poor sanitation conditions, and rising public health hazards across several municipalities. Cera warned that compromised sanitation could affect multiple aspects of community life, including food safety, consumer mobility, hospital operations, and overall recovery efforts.
Chua stressed the urgency of the situation, stating that "power lines serving water pumping stations should be restored with the same urgency as those serving hospitals because they are both necessities of life." When power fails at pumping stations, entire districts lose access to clean water and must rely on backup systems with limited capacity.
Call for Immediate Reforms
Cera has called on electric utilities including Mactan Electric Company and the Cebecos, along with regulators such as the Energy Regulatory Commission and the Department of Energy, to implement immediate reforms. Their recommendations include:
- Fair resource deployment to hard-hit areas
- Prioritization of circuits supplying key water facilities
- Fast-tracking resilience projects like underground cabling and grid strengthening
- Consistent communication with consumers on restoration timelines
The group emphasized that the current crisis highlights the fragile link between Cebu's power and water infrastructure. Failure to address these systemic issues, they warned, will leave communities increasingly vulnerable during future disasters.
The situation continues to develop as communities still reeling from typhoon Tino face the compounding challenges of power outages and water shortages, with economic activity and public health hanging in the balance.
