"Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out." Anton Chekhov
By Alex P. Vidal
LOS ANGELES, California -- Has the water crisis become a global phenomenon?
Barely two weeks since the Iloilo City Council in the Philippines declared the city under a "state of imminent water crisis" due to projected prolonged drought, California's State Water Resources Control Board (SWCB) announced the approval of an emergency 25 percent cut in the cities' water use May 5.
The Council declaration in Iloilo City came as a response to the Iloilo City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (ICDRRMC), chaired by Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog, which made a resolution to allocate P3 million for possible water rationing.
It emphasized the need for funds "in preparation for long drought as brought by the prolonged dry spell has identified possible alternative water distribution mechanisms and alternative water sources."
This will enable metro villages to prepare their calamity funds now that many villages have reported that their wells have dried up, according to Mabilog.
PORTRAIT
California data released May 5 painted a stark portrait of the uphill struggle Californians face in achieving a mandated 25 percent reduction in urban water use, with one official joking grimly that dealing with severe drought was similar to grappling with the five stages of grief.
Reports said cumulative water savings since last summer totaled only 8.6%, according to the State Water Resources Control Board, far short of the historic reduction outlined in an April 1 executive order by Gov. Jerry Brown.
ICDRRMC said at the same time, most of the state's water suppliers issued 20 or fewer notices of water waste in March even though they have received thousands of complaints.
“It's a collective issue we all need to rise to. I keep thinking that we are in some stages of Elisabeth Kubler-Ross,”Felicia Marcus, the water board chairwoman, told the Los Angeles Times, referring to the psychiatrist who wrote “On Death and Dying.”
“It's a collective issue we all need to rise to. I keep thinking that we are in some stages of Elisabeth Kubler-Ross,” said Felicia Marcus, the water board chairwoman, referring to the psychiatrist who wrote “On Death and Dying.”
DISCLOSURES
The paper reported that the disclosures came as board members May 5 night unanimously approved new conservation regulations set to take effect in time for summer, when outdoor water use traditionally accounts for 50 percent to 80 percent of residential consumption.
It quoted water board staff scientist Max Gomberg as saying that California residents and businesses used only 3.6% less water in March than they did during the same month in 2013, the baseline year for savings calculations.“We need to do more,” Gomberg told the LA Times. “Conserving now and over the summer is imperative.”
Despite the meager savings, some outside experts said it was still possible for the state to achieve the governor's goal in the coming months.
Brown is seeking hefty fines for water wasters, and some local water agencies have been crafting tougher conservation plans in recent weeks.
In the Philippines, the P3 million fund can be mobilized once Iloilo City is declared under crisis, said Councilor Joshua Alim who blamed the Metro Iloilo Water Districs (MIWD)'s inability to supply sufficient water because of narrow pipes.
The fund can be used to buy water containers for water distribution in affected barangays and for fuel expenses in transporting the water.
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EVEN in California, bettors who lost in the Fight of the Century continued to bemoan the lackluster performances of both Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr on May 2 in Las Vegas.
Many Hispanics claimed they were shocked when Pacquiao, who is now facing sanctions from the Nevada State Athletic Commission for his failure to disclose a shoulder injury before the bout at the MGM Grand Arena, performed below expectations.
"What happened?" Mario Sosa, a customer in a T-Mobile store in the City of Lake Forrest, asked this writer. "I haven't tasted a free dinner from my wife, who offered to give me one if Pacquiao would win."
"I expected too much from Pacquiao because videos released on TV before the fight showed he was prepared and very strong while training. But during the fight, he hardly threw punches and it was the defensive fighter (Mayweather Jr.) who was the one initiating the fight."
Former San Miguel, Iloilo councilor Reynalod "King" Uy said he and his fellow bettors in the Filipino community lost heavily believing that Pacquiao would beat Maywearher Jr. "even only on points."
"Some of our kababayans lost their salary equivalent to one month," he revealed. "Others lost $5,000. Many of them are still shocked."
Las Vegas Filipino community leader Raul Sabido, who collected all the bets from his California friends for Pacquiao, said he is now convinced that Mayweather Jr. is the better boxer pound-for-pound.
"Pacquiao should stop giving excuses. Let's move forward na," said Sabido, president of the Central Philippine University Alumni Association Las Vegas Chapter.
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