Waterworld. Like the rest of Pampanga, San Simon town remains under water. Photo by Ric Gonzales
ANGELES CITY– Amid fears of food shortage in two to three days unless floods subside in Pampanga, two more persons were reported missing yesterday in Central Luzon where three provinces are in states of calamity.
Tess Senora, chief of the Bataan provincial disaster risk reduction and management council (PDRRMC), said in a telephone interview that as of yesterday, several barangays in the capital Balanga City and all her province’s 11 municipalities remained flooded.
In widely inundated Dinalupihan town, one Alvin Galang was reported missing, while one Daniel Masangkay, 26, was also missing after being swept away by strong currents in Orion, Senora said.
In Pampanga, Vice Gov. Joseller Guiao said the state of calamity was declared at 1 p.m. Tuesday as floodwaters continued to rise in 18 towns.
“About 70 to 80 percent of barangays in the province went under water last Tuesday,” he said.
Flood waters were reported to have subsided yesterday in higher areas, only to swell flooding in lower towns acting as catchbasins before the waters flow into the lahar-silted Guagua-Pasac river towards the Manila Bay.
Latest data showed more than 100,000 families from 283 barangays have been affected by the floods in Pampanga since Friday last week.
Guiao said that as of yesterday, 90 percent of Pampanga fourth district were still heavily flooded.
The district is composed of the low-lying towns of Macabebe, Masantol, Candaba, Minalin, Sto. Tomas, Apalit, San Luis and San Simon.
Only Angeles and neighboring Mabalacat cities were not seriously affected by flooding in Pampanga.
“The provincial government has made provisions for the families isolated by floods, but even our resources could be limited and could run out in two to three days if the situation does not improve,” he said.
Guiao appealed for donations to augment government resources for the affected folk in Pampanga.
He said that despite improved weather, sandbagging operations continued at flood control dikes in Apalit, Candaba, and Minalin.
“Folk in Macabebe and Masantol gave up on this as the waters from the Pampanga River swelled to flood them and it seems they have just cast their fate on expectations that the floods would soon ebb,” he added.
In Zambales, Bon Ignacio of the local PDRRMC said that Gov. Hermogenes Ebdane was on field yesterday to check on areas affected by the heavy rains after the provincial government also declared a state of calamity Tuesday morning.
Ignacio said, however, that while many roads in Zambales were rendered impassable by floods last Tuesday, all the routes were already passable as of yesterday amid improved weather. Reports on damages were still unavailable as of yesterday, she added.
Flooding were still noted yesterday in Bataan, Senora said. Still seriously affected were 12 barangays in Balanga city, 13 in Dinalupihan, 17 in Hermosa, 13 in Orani, 11 in Samal, nine in Pilar, eight in Abucay, six in Mariveles, four in Bagac and, three in Morong.
Senora noted that while heavy rains had ceased yesterday, chest-deep floods along highways prevented rescue and relief operation vehicles from reaching Barangays Paysawan, Kinawan, and Binowayan in Bagac town.
She also appealed for more relief good donations, primarily food, drinking water, and dry clothes for the flooding victims in Bataan.
