CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – Amid the infrastructure and agricultural damages wrought by the recent tropical disturbances and the southwest monsoon, Gov. Lilia “Nanay” Pineda has reiterated her long-standing recommendation to dredge and the Pampanga River and desilt its tributaries as a sustainable solution to the persistent and worsening flooding in the province.
Assessment of the provincial government placed agricultural damages at P470,104,758, while the Department of Public Works and Highways put damage to infrastructure at least P432 million.
Pineda said the dredging must cover the 34-kilometer stretch of the Pampanga River, spanning the towns of Arayat, Candaba, Macabebe, Masantol, Lubao, and Sasmuan. This, hand in hand with the desilting of its tributaries that also empty into Manila Bay.
She pointed out that the silting of the riverbed and the accumulation of debris and waste have significantly reduced the river’s capacity to hold and drain water, contributing to extensive flooding.
The provincial government’s latest damage report indicated that in Lubao, Barangay Sta. Rita suffered P50 million in damage following the collapse of a dike and pavement.
In Floridablanca P70 million was incurred in damages due to the P30 million reported damage in Barangay Sto. Rosario with the collapse of existing slope protection along the Caulaman River; P30 million in losses due to a collapsed dike along the Santol Creek in San Jose; and P10 million in damage from settlement of slope protection in Barangay Dampe.
In Guagua, slope protection along the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) irrigation canal in Ligaya–Talang area collapsed, leading to P30 million worth of damage; while Lambac sustained P20 million in damage from settlement of slope protection.
In Mabalacat City, the damaged slope protection at Sapang Balen amounted to P10 million.
A partially damaged road in San Vicente, Apalit and Paralaya, Candaba cost P30 million and P40 million, respectively.
Partially damaged flood controls were also reported in San Simon amounting to P132 million, and in Macabebe amounting to P25 million.
Other damages reported included a riprap in Sasmuan worth P20 million, and scouring of road shoulder in Minalin worth P5 million.
The cost of the damaged bridge in Mexico is still under evaluation by DPWH engineers.
DPWH has earlier said that more than P1 billion will be needed to address flood control infrastructure issues across the province.
These include repairs to broken dikes, enhancement of slope protection structures, and large-scale river desilting efforts.
Pineda underscored that the main cause of the flooding was the heavily silted rivers, alongside clogged canals that could no longer handle the volume of rainfall.
She also cited reports of dike breaches in parts of Guagua, Lubao, and Floridablanca, which worsened the impact on affected barangays.
Given the extent of the damage and recurring nature of the problem, the governor renewed her appeal to the national government and relevant agencies to prioritize the desilting of the Pampanga River and fund long-term flood mitigation projects.
She stressed that these are not merely engineering concerns but essential actions to safeguard communities, livelihoods, and public infrastructure.
“We are doing our part at the provincial level, but solving this problem requires inter-agency coordination and a serious investment from the national government. Dredging and desilting the river is critical not just for disaster response but also for protecting agriculture and livelihoods,” Pineda said.
The provincial disaster risk reduction and management council continues to monitor the situation and provide assistance to affected residents while preparing for additional weather disturbances in the coming days. Marie Joy S. Carbungco/PIA-3
