CITY OF SAN FERNANDO — The Pampanga provincial government rushed assistance on Sept. 2 to Sta. Ana officials in opening floodgates and clearing clogged creeks to restore water flow after flooding affected several barangays.
The flooding was triggered by a massive buildup of garbage along Matubig Creek in Barangay San Agustin and the failure to open a floodgate under the responsibility of the National Irrigation Administration.
According to reports from the municipal and local disaster risk reduction and management offices, some 30 truckloads of waste—much of it carried downstream from other areas—blocked the waterway, causing floodwaters to inundate nearby homes and farmland.
Floodwaters affected homes and farmland in nearby areas.
Vice Gov. Dennis “Delta” Pineda personally coordinated with Mayor Dinan Labung in deploying heavy equipment, including backhoes, to remove debris and desilt the creek.
The vice governor said gate operation responsibilities need clearer definition.
“Responsibilities over check gates are often passed around. If these gates had been raised on time, residents would not have suffered such damage,” he said.
Pineda plans to meet with NIA officials and other mayors to clarify the management of floodgates.
Labung lauded the provincial government for its prompt response.
“If not for the immediate action of the governor and vice governor, the damage could have been much worse,” the mayor said.
He reminded residents to dispose waste properly and avoid dumping trash into creeks and waterways to prevent future flooding.
Pampanga PIO/Photos: Pat Cabungcal & Kiervin Cayanan-PPIO
