ANGELES CITY – Over 182 meters above sea level, significant parts of this city sank under raging flash floods late Wednesday, stranding thousands amid lack of public transport and a long freeze on traffic late into the night.
National and local government engineers blamed “unusually heavy rainfall” for the sudden and widespread flooding.
City Engineer Donato David, however, also trained the blame on the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for its unfinished new drainage systems in all major local thoroughfares, worth about P88 million.
DPWH District 1 Engineer Tito Salvador admitted that while the unfinished drainage projects might have contributed to the flooding, he also noted the “unusual heavy downpour” late afternoon and into the night last Wednesday.
“The drainage projects we are doing are totally new. We would not touch old drainage systems until the new system is finished, except in front of the Angeles University Foundation where we have finished the new drainage and covered the old one because it is too near the concrete road,” he said.
But David could not say how much was last Wednesday’s rainfall volume, as he admitted that two automatic rain gauges provided by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) still had to be installed in Barangays Sapang Bato and Mining.
Local folk, as well as transients bound for home, were stranded as rainfall fell in torrents past 5 p.m.
Among those affected was Prof. Robbie Tantingco, vice president for external affairs of the Holy Angel University, who shared in his Facebook account upon reaching home at 8:45 p.m. his experience: “Thank God I”m home safe and sound, shivering and starving after driving around the city looking for access roads that are unflooded towards my place.”
“Some streets have turned into raging rivers with brown muddy waves that nearly carried away my car,” he said.
Also affected was wedding planning expert Voltaire Zalamea who also shared his experience while caught in traffic along the Balibago commercial district in this city at about 9 p.m. He said: “Nakakapikon na ang traffic dito sa Balibago. Mag two hours na di pa gumagalaw. Local government, do something.”
David cited reports that the heavy floods rose abruptly in the area of the Old Manila Road towards downtown Plaza Miranda, Don Bonifacio, Sto. Entierro, Balibago, among other densely populated areas in Angeles.
He noted, however, that the floods readily subsided before next day’s dawn.
This, even as Salvador said that the drainage projects along major thoroughfares here are nearing completion, as they are from 60 to 75 percent towards completion.
