ANGELES CITY – In the wake of the flashfloods on city streets after the heavy rains last July 20, Pampanga 1st District Rep. Carmelo “Pogi” Lazatin, Jr. has requested the Department of Public Works and Highways, through the Pampanga 3rd District Engineering Office (DEO) led by District Engineer Asser Mallari, for additional funding for the maintenance of creeks in the city.
“Nakita natin sa nakalipas na pagbaha sa Angeles ang maraming lumutang na basura mula sa mga estero malapit sa kalsada, kaya hindi sapat na tuwing umuulan at bumabaha lang nililinis ang mga esterong ito,” Lazatin said. “Kailangan ay buong taon na may maintenance ang mga estero para panatilihing malinis ang ating waterways.”
Creeks in Angeles City are connected to the Abacan River system, the most prominent of which is the Balibago Creek that runs perpendicular to the MacArthur Highway in Barangay Balibago – where a large part of the flooding occurred.
Videos posted on social media by concerned citizens showed large amounts of trash – mostly of plastic and expanded polystyrene waste – floating in the flood water.
“Maliban sa regular maintenance ng mga estero ng ating mga kawani, nananawagan din tayo sa mga miyembro ng komunidad na iwasan ang pagtatapon ng basura sa ating waterways, lalong-lalo na po ang plastic,” Lazatin said.
It can be recalled that during Lazatin’s time as mayor, the city government implemented an award-winning, two-pronged solid waste management and food security program dubbed “Walang Plastikan: Plastic-Palit-Bigas Program,” where city residents were able to receive one kilo of rice for every one kilo of plastic waste that they turned over to the city government.
From January to December 2022, the city government was able to distribute 1,693,213 kilos of rice to Angeles City residents in exchange for an equal amount of plastic waste; 932,863 kilos from January to December 2023; and 299,555 kilos from January to March 2024 – a total of 2,925,631 kilos. Team Lazatin Media
