CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga (PIA) — President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. assured flood-affected families in Pampanga of continued government assistance as he visited an evacuation center in Bacolor and led a situation briefing on the province’s massive flooding.
The Chief Executive visited the Bacolor Integrated School Evacuation Center in Barangay Cabambangan, where he met evacuees and observed the distribution of P10,000 cash assistance to heads of affected families under the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program.
This visit came as flooding affected more than 1 million people across Pampanga, with the latest Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office report as of 6:00 AM Monday showing that 314,945 families or 1,009,257 individuals had been affected in 253 barangays across 16 local government units.
Of these, 3,142 families or 11,366 individuals were staying in 197 evacuation centers, while another 2,599 families or 11,575 individuals had evacuated outside designated centers, with the entire province under a State of Calamity since August 12.
At the Pampanga Provincial Capitol, Marcos Jr. met with national government officials and local executives to assess the flooding and coordinate government response.
Authorities attributed the flooding to the combined effects of Super El Niño, tropical disturbances Maymay and Luis, and the enhanced southwest monsoon.
The President said the extraordinary volume of rainfall overwhelmed existing flood-control measures, cautioning against viewing the disaster solely as an infrastructure failure and citing the intensity of rainfall and the effects of climate change.
“Ito ay ang naging resulta ng climate change. Kailangan maunawaan din ng tao na ‘yung climate change ay talagang nandito na at nandiyan tayo naaapektuhan,” he noted.
He said immediate priorities include food, shelter, health services and other assistance while authorities assess the damage and monitor weather conditions.
“Hindi pa tapos ito. So, we will continue to monitor. We will continue to do everything that we can so that we will mitigate the effects of this very strong rain and the flooding that follows it,” Marcos Jr. said.
The DSWD has provided P243.37 million in assistance to affected families and made P2.63 million in standby funds available for continuing relief operations.
It has also positioned 127,947 family food packs at its Central Luzon regional office for distribution to affected communities.
Marcos Jr. said national and local agencies would continue coordinating relief efforts for residents affected by the floods.
The President said authorities must first determine the extent of damage in submerged areas before major repairs begin to ensure that public funds are not spent on facilities that could again be destroyed by succeeding floods.
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is conducting maintenance and de-clogging operations in drainage systems and waterways while prioritizing damaged flood-control structures.
DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon said the government would also determine whether contractors could be held accountable for damaged infrastructure still under warranty.
For her part, Pampanga Governor Lilia Pineda called for long-term measures to address the province’s recurring floods, saying downstream communities continue to receive large volumes of water from neighboring provinces and watersheds.
“Matagal na panahon na lagi kaming lumulubog,” Pineda said, noting that water from Aurora, the Sierra Madre, and Nueva Ecija eventually flows toward Pampanga and Manila Bay.
She said prolonged flooding has placed a heavy burden on residents, particularly senior citizens, children, and sick people who have difficulty leaving their homes to work or obtain food.
“Naaawa na ako sa mga kababayan natin. Tumataas yung tubig. Dati hanggang baywang lang. Ngayon inaabutan na ‘yung bubong. Saka matagal na silang nakalubog talaga,” Pineda said.
The governor said she was encouraged by the government’s plans for upstream flood-control interventions, including dams and other structures to help regulate water flowing into Pampanga.
She said the President’s commitment to a long-term flood-management plan had given affected communities hope that the province could eventually find lasting relief from recurring floods. (CLJD/MJSC, PIA Region 3-Pampanga)
