Daet, Camarines Norte to declare state of calamity due to severe water crisis, El Niño

The local government of Daet in Camarines Norte is preparing to declare a state of calamity due to a severe, prolonged water shortage exacerbated by the El Niño phenomenon.

Mayor Rossano “Ronie” Valencia is set to sign the official declaration following a September 17 resolution approved by the Sangguniang Bayan.

The action follows Resolution No. 08-2026 of the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (MDRRMC), along with urgent appeals from severely affected barangays facing acute supply shortages.

Under the declaration, municipal officials will deploy the town’s Quick Response Fund to fast-track immediate relief operations across vulnerable communities.

Planned interventions include distributing potable water, installing additional water storage tanks, and establishing emergency infrastructure such as localized filtration systems and water pumps.

Direct relief assistance will also be extended to families and local enterprises whose daily operations and livelihoods have been heavily disrupted by the drought.

Meanwhile, the local government unit of Daet has urged the Provincial Government of Camarines Norte to exercise its statutory authority over local water distribution systems to enact urgent operational interventions.

Extreme drought conditions documented by the state weather bureau PAGASA have prompted a province-wide state of calamity declaration across Camarines Norte, impacting towns of Santa Elena, Paracale, and Panganiban, along early declarations from San Vicente and San Lorenzo Ruiz.

To mitigate the widespread emergency, provincial authorities are utilizing their Quick Response Fund for water distribution and relief efforts while exploring long-term water shortage infrastructure.

According to Provincial Legal Officer Atty. Cynthia Gonzales, the province has been suffering from a prolonged water shortage that has compromised drinking supplies, agricultural output, and local livelihoods.

Local officials underscored the necessity of synchronized action across municipal and provincial lines to restore immediate access and ensure long-term water security.

“Sa gitna ng krisis, malinaw ang prayoridad: maihatid ang kinakailangang tulong sa mga apektadong barangay at matiyak na ang bawat Daeteño ay may access sa isang pangunahing pangangailangan na malinis at ligtas na tubig,” the Daet Municipal Information Office said in a Facebook post.