Dinagat islands: More than 18,000 residents in Dinagat Islands are affected or at immediate risk due to a severe water crisis, prompting the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) to recommend the declaration of a state of calamity across the entire province.
According to Philippines News Agency, the PDRRMC-Technical Working Group (TWG), led by Governor Nilo Demerey Jr., approved Resolution No. 01-2026 on Tuesday afternoon, citing the province-wide worsening water crisis and the growing risks it posed to residents, public health, livelihoods, the environment, and overall development. The resolution was forwarded to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) for the formal declaration of a state of calamity. As of this writing, the SP has yet to issue a resolution for the declaration.
"Based on consolidated provincial and municipal assessments, field observations, sectoral reports, and available scientific and operational information, prolonged dry conditions have substantially reduced the availability, accessibility, reliability, and carrying capacity of potable and domestic water sources across the province," the PDRRMC resolution said.
The council, using the current provincial population reference of approximately 120,533, said the 15 percent threshold prescribed under applicable state of calamity guidelines represents approximately 18,080 people. "Provincial assessments indicate that more than 18,000 Dinagatnons and members of the general public are already affected or are at immediate risk due to constrained water supply, including reduced water-source yields, interrupted services, increased time and distance required to collect water, and growing dependence on water hauling and rationing," the PDRRMC said.
It added that the situation has gone beyond being a seasonal inconvenience, given that water is fundamental to life, dignity, health, sanitation, food preparation, education, livelihoods, and the functioning of essential public services. The proposed declaration, the council said, "is envisioned as a proactive and enabling risk-governance measure that will allow the province to organize its institutions, prioritize interventions, mobilize available resources, strengthen intergovernmental coordination, and act decisively before present conditions develop into a deeper humanitarian and socioeconomic emergency."
Amid the prevailing water crisis, the provincial government will also prioritize food and livelihood security of residents, especially farmers and fisherfolk.
