OCD: 330 barangays in Pampanga still flooded

MANILA, Philippines — More than 300 villages in Pampanga remain flooded, with some areas experiencing flooding for the first time, Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Assistant Secretary Raffy Alejandro IV said on Monday.

“What we saw along the way is that the waters are still high in most parts of Pampanga,” Alejandro said in a press conference, partly in Filipino.

In total, Alejandro said 330 villages in 20 local government units (LGUs) in the province remain flooded. Pampanga has more than 500 villages.

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“There are some areas which only experienced this (flooding) for the first time,” he also said, noting that the area had seen bouts of rain for almost a month.

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Alejandro noted that the OCD is also concerned about water runoff not only from Mount Pinatubo but also from the Sierra Mountain Range, which will flow toward the province.

Asked if Pampanga is the most affected by the rains, Alejandro said: “So far, it’s Pampanga, which had a bit of a grave [impact] for this season.”

READ: OCD verifying 14 new reported deaths due to habagat

READ: OCD says habagat death toll reaches 33

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Alejandro said this initial assessment was based on their aerial inspection of the province on Monday morning.

So far, 21 LGUs have declared a state of calamity in Pampanga.

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Since Aug. 1, the OCD said 33 people have died due to the southwest monsoon, while Alejandro said it is still verifying 14 newly reported deaths. /mcm