Pampanga River overflows, floods more villages

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, PAMPANGA, Philippines — The Pampanga River has overflowed since Thursday (Aug. 20), raising the number of flooded villages in the province to 276 on Friday from 234 on Wednesday.

The flooding has spread across 19 towns and cities, affecting 307,879 families or 982,100 individuals, according to the latest data.

The figures showed that 55 percent of Pampanga’s 505 villages were flooded.

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The 261-kilometer Pampanga River, which drains 30 river systems in Central Luzon, has overflowed in portions of Arayat, Candaba, Apalit and Sasmuan. Floodwaters have also inundated coastal towns, particularly those near the mouth of Manila Bay, including Macabebe and Masantol, according to the Pampanga River Basin Flood Forecasting and Warning Center.

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READ: Sandbagging conducted in Pampanga town after river checkgate overflows

The center advised barangays and disaster risk reduction and management offices in coastal towns to remain alert as water levels continued to rise. So far, only the local government of Apalit has advised the preemptive evacuation of residents in seven villages.

High tide and heavy rains on Tuesday and Wednesday raised floodwaters to as high as six feet and up to 20 feet in San Agustin, Candaba.

READ: Heavy rains erode 100-meter portion of flood control dike in Pampanga

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“The water from the (Candaba) swamp has merged with the water in the river,” old residents observed.

As of Friday, 181 evacuation centers had been opened, sheltering 2,892 families or 10,405 individuals. Outside evacuation centers, 2,577 families or 11,491 individuals were also receiving assistance.

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Government assistance, mostly from the Department of Social Welfare and Development in the form of family food packs, reached P111.2 million.

Damage to crops was estimated at P921.8 million, fisheries at P496.5 million and livestock at P11.9 million, affecting more than 10,000 farmers and fisherfolk.

The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office also recorded damage to 50 dikes, canals and bridges.

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Gov. Lilia Pineda urged Japanese consultants working with the Department of Public Works and Highways to fast-track their flood mitigation study. She also appealed for the expansion of the retaining area of the Cong Dadong Dike in Arayat for irrigation and the construction of dikes and pump stations around Macabebe and Masantol. /cb