Catholic faithful asked to pray for rain
Like in Biblical times where Moses cried out to God for water to fill the thirst of the Israelites, Catholic faithful were asked to pray for the rain as the El Niño phenomenon starts to dry wells and affect water supply in Iloilo City.
God’s intervention is being sought to cope with the effects of El Niño which is causing drought and water shortage here.
Rev. Fr. Esperidion Celis, parish priest of Our Lady of Espousal (Mandurriao), asked his parishioners to pray for Divine intercession as the power to give the much needed rain is beyond the capacity of man. “There are clouds but it seems it will not come down and produced rain,” he said.
In his homily last Sunday, Fr. Celis requested the church-goers to say a special prayer for God asking for rain in addressing the water needs of plants such as rice. The rice producers and the city need water as water rationing started.
The Task Force El Niño already reported that the dry spell has affected some 29,177 farmer-families in Western Visayas. It has affected 32,300.76 hectares of rice lands, in which 11,031 are totally affected and 21,268.84 hectares are partially affected. The total value of rice that was affected by the drought was initially placed at P635.5 million.
The Metro Iloilo Water District (MIWD) started its water rationing scheme in their service areas. The MIWD service areas include Iloilo City and the towns of Maasin, Cabatuan, Sta. Barbara, Pavia, San Miguel, Oton and Leganes. The water district has 31,000 to 32,000 service connections.
The water rationing is being implemented after there is a tremendous decline of water level from its source of raw water supply in Tigum River. In normal conditions, the MIWD is producing 28,000 to 30,000 cubic meters. The water production dropped to 21,000 cubic meters a day.
