CALAPAN CITY, Oriental Mindoro -- To assess the groundwater resources of the area and produce a 1:50,000 scale hydrogeologic map, a team of technical personnel from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) MIMAROPA Region conducted groundwater resource and vulnerability assessment in Bulalacao, Oriental Mindoro.

Also aimed at helping concerned local government units in effective groundwater resources management, the team collected data from a total of 110 water point inventory sites composed of 67 wells and 43 springs.

Based on the assessment, groundwater manifests in most barangays of Bulalacao as spring emanations, discharging vast amounts of freshwater either from fractured/dissolved rocks (limestones) or from areas with thick soil cover.

However, the rate of groundwater discharge from springs is significantly affected by seasonal variations, resulting to the recurring scarcity of freshwater supply in most barangays during the dry season.

The MGB MIMAROPA groundwater resource assessment team also conducted a total of 15 Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES) surveys in Barangays Cabugao, Balatasan, San Juan, Cambunang, Benli, Nasucob, and San Roque. Through a VES survey, the presence or absence of groundwater several meters below the ground surface can be inferred.

After processing the gathered primary and secondary data, the team will be able to produce hydrogeologic map (per municipality), water quality maps (parameters: pH, total dissolved solids, salinity), and georesistivity section profiles and interpretations. (MGB Mimaropa)