Floods hit 258 Bulacan, Pampanga villages

MANILA, Philippines — Up to 134 barangays in 12 towns and two cities in Bulacan remained flooded yesterday due to heavy rains.

In Pampanga, 124 barangays were also submerged in floodwaters.

Twenty-six barangays in Calumpit, 29 in Malolos, 13 in Meycauayan and five each in Bocaue, Obando and San Rafael were among the areas hit by flooding, Manuel Lukban Jr., officer in charge of the Bulacan Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (PDRRMO), said.

Lukban said four barangays in Balagtas, eight in Guiguinto, 16 in Paombong, 12 in Pandi, one in Plaridel, two in Bustos, four in Obando and four each in Angat and Marilao also reported flooding.

Floodwater rose by up to five feet in Barangay Sapang Bayan in Calumpit.

Lukban said 3,727 families or 14,407 people sought shelter in 164 evacuation centers across the province.

The Pampanga PDRRMO said the affected municipalities are Macabebe, where 17 barangays were inundated; Masantol, 24; Minalin, eight; San Simon, six; Sto. Tomas, three, and Apalit, seven.

San Simon reported six barangays affected by flooding; Mexico, one; Candaba, 11; San Luis, two; Sasmuan, 12; Guagua, eight, and Lubao, 17.

In San Fernando City, eight barangays were hit by floods.

Angat Dam water level still rising

Meanwhile, the water level of Angat Dam continued to rise as Ipo and Bustos Dams released water yesterday

The Bulacan PDRRMO said the dam’s water level rose to 191.70 meters or 3.50 meters compared to the previous day.

The water elevation is 11.70 meters higher than its minimum operating level of 180 meters.

Josephine Salazar, National Irrigation Administration-Central Luzon director, said Ipo Dam released 60.80 cubic meter per second (cms) of water on its downstream river flowing out toward Bustos Dam yesterday.

Three sluice gates remained raised by a meter. The dam’s rubber gate 3 released 288 cms of water on its downstream river system.

27 Egay-affected roads still closed

As this developed, clearing operations were ongoing in 27 road sections  in Luzon that were closed due to Super Typhoon Egay, according to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

Secretary Manuel Bonoan said he instructed the Quick Response Team of DPWH offices in typhoon-affected areas to ensure the immediate restoration of connectivity so that goods and government aid will reach the people.

A report submitted to Bonoan on Friday showed that 17 of these roads are in the Cordilleras, eight in Ilocos and one each in Cagayan Valley and Mimaropa.

Soil erosion, soil collapse, damaged slope protection, road slip, landslides, felled trees and rockfalls and flooding are among the reasons for the road closures.

In Pampanga, major roads remained impassable to light vehicles due to flooding.

These are the Ipil-Ipil-Cambasi-Sta. Cruz Road in Masantol, Sumpung bridge in Sto. Tomas and CDCP Barangay Sta. Monica and La Trevi Road in San Simon. — Jose Rodel Clapano