Olongapo City under state of calamity due to severe flooding

SAN ANTONIO, Zambales — The Olongapo City government on Tuesday has declared the city under a state of calamity after weeks of intense rainfall that triggered widespread flooding, landslides, damage to properties and infrastructure, and the displacement of residents.

The city council approved Resolution No. 196, Series of 2026, during its regular session on Tuesday based on the recommendation of the Olongapo City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (OCDRRMC), which adopted Resolution No. 2026-04 during an emergency meeting on Monday.

In his endorsement to the city council, Mayor Rolen C. Paulino Jr. said Olongapo recorded 2,900.5 millimeters of cumulative rainfall throughout August, about 3.47 times the normal August rainfall of 835.7 mm.

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READ: Olongapo continues to battle flooding, erosion amid heavy rains

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He said 569.5 mm of rain fell from August 28 to 29 alone, equivalent to about 68 percent of the city’s normal rainfall for the entire month.

The prolonged, heavy rains resulted in flooding, landslides, damage to properties and infrastructure, environmental degradation, disruption of transportation and public services, and the displacement of residents, according to the resolution.

The city government also said the successive weather disturbances had significantly disrupted normal social and economic activities and placed considerable strain on its disaster response, recovery, and public service capabilities.

In an earlier interview, Jeffrey Lapid, head of the Olongapo City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office, said that 13 out of 17 villages in the city were flooded during intense rainfall as of Saturday, Aug. 29. 

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At least 730 families, or 2,530 individuals, evacuated from their flooded homes. The city also recorded one fatality, a 3-year-old boy in Barangay Old Cabalan who was swept by rushing floodwaters when a wall above their house suddenly collapsed. 

READ: 3-year-old boy swept away by floods in Olongapo found dead

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The declaration is expected to facilitate the immediate mobilization and use of available resources for response, relief, recovery, and rehabilitation efforts for affected residents, communities, properties, and infrastructure.

The city and other parts of Zambales continue to recover from repeated flooding and other impacts of heavy rains in recent weeks./coa