FLOODING. A road in Candaba, Pampanga is no longer passable to light vehicles due to flooding caused by continuous rains brought by Typhoon Egay and the southwest monsoon on Friday (July 28, 2023). Residents in the low-lying areas in Pampanga are advised to take extra caution as the Pampanga River Basin is on critical level status. (Photo courtesy of the Municipality of Candaba)
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga – The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) has warned residents in low-lying areas of Central Luzon to take precautionary measures as the water level in the Pampanga River basin starts rising on Friday due to continuous rains brought by Typhoon Egay.
In a radio interview, Hilton Hernandez, head of the PAGASA-Pampanga River Basin and Flood Forecasting and Warning Center said the swelling of Pampanga River is at an alarming level, particularly along the towns of Arayat and Apalit.
“Yung Pampanga River sa may Arayat at Apalit ay nasa alert level na rin. Nagsisimula na rin syang tumaas ngayon. Pagtapos ng daan ng bagyo at saka palang tumataas ang level ng tubig sa kailugan natin. (The Pampanga River along Arayat and Apalit is now also in alert level. The water is starting to rise now. After the typhoon, the water level in our rivers have started to rise),” he said.
He likewise said that a portion of the Candaba swamp is now at a critical level.
“Meaning to say, halos mapuno na yung swamp sa portion na mababa at pauloy pa rin itong lumalaki at inaasahan na maraming maapektuhan na mga barangay dun (the low portion of the swamp is almost full, and it is continuously swelling, and we expect that more barangays will be affected),” he added.
Hernandez said overflowing is likely to occur in coastal areas in Central Luzon this weekend due to the effects of high tide.
Among the towns in Pampanga that will be affected are Apalit, Macabebe, Masantol, Lubao, Guagua, Bacolor, Sasmuan, Sto. Tomas, Apalit and other adjacent towns.
“Kaya po pinapayuhan natin ang ating mga kababayan na mag-ingat. Lumikas na kung kinakailangan (Thus, we are advising the public to take caution. Evacuate if the need arises),” he said.
Meanwhile, Bustos Dam in Bulacan continues to spill water on its downstream river system, inundating low-lying areas.
Josephine Salazar, Central Luzon director of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA), said in a text message that the dam has raised its Sluice Gates 1, 2 and 3 to two meters, and deflated its Rubber Gate No. 3.
The three sluice gates of Bustos Dam have been discharging a total of 142 cubic meters per second (cms) of water, while the rubber gate has been releasing 380 cms, for a total of 522 cms compared to its previous day discharge of 737 cms.
Salazar advised residents living near the Angat river system -- particularly in low-lying areas in the towns of Norzagaray, Angat, San Rafael, Bustos, Baliwag, Pulilan, Plaridel, Calumpit, Paombong and Hagonoy - - to be on the alert for the possible rise in the river system’s water elevation as Ipo Dam started releasing water, which flows down through Bustos Dam, before noontime Friday.
Retired Col. Manuel Lukban, head of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office of Bulacan, reported that floodwater from half a foot up to four feet has affected low-lying areas in the towns of Angat, Calumpit, Balagtas, Guiguinto and Paombong.
”A total of 26 evacuation sites that can accommodated a total of 399 families or 1,672 individuals were established in those places,” Lukban said.
He said that trucks loaded with relief goods and rescue teams were likewise dispatched to heavily flooded and affected areas.
Meanwhile, the typhoon-enhanced southwest monsoon (habagat) has devastated almost PHP17 million worth of agriculture crops in the province due to a severe flooding, Bulacan provincial agriculturist Ma. Gloria Carillo said.
She said that some 485.69 hectares of rice fields in the province were affected. (PNA)
