Homes lost as rampaging floodwaters devastate Brgy. Sto Cristo, Lubao, Pampanga

What began as a clogged dam quickly turned into a terrifying disaster as raging floodwaters carved a new path through a residential community in Lubao, Pampanga, washing away six houses and forcing more than 100 residents to evacuate.

Part of the sixth house collapsed in the middle of our live report over 24 Oras Weekend as powerful floodwaters overflowing from the river surged through the area, eroding the soil beneath the already doomed structure until it finally gave way.

Around 30 families, or 107 individuals, have been moved to safety from Barangay Sto. Cristo after floodwaters from the overflowing Sto. Cristo Dam destroyed homes and made the area too dangerous to inhabit.

Floodwaters rage through Brgy. Sto. Cristo, Lubao, Pampanga, where six houses were swept away.

According to Lubao Mayor Esmie Pineda, the incident unfolded at around 11 am last August 28 when massive logs, tree branches, leaves, and other debris washed down from the uplands and clogged the floodgate of the Sto. Cristo Dam.

With the water unable to pass through the blocked gate, it surged over the riverbank instead, breaching part of the slope protection structure and affecting nearby homes.

“The logs, branches, and debris were so thick that they completely blocked the gate. The water had nowhere to go, so it found another route—and that’s when the houses beside the dam were affected,” Pineda said, adding that it was the first time such an incident had happened in the town.

Massive logs and other debris clos the floodgate of Sto. Cristo Dam.

As the river continued to swell, the soil beneath several houses eroded until the structures collapsed and were swept away by the rushing current.

An area that residents said was once solid ground has now been replaced by a fast-moving river, prompting the local government to prohibit families from returning to their homes because of the continuing danger.

Police officers, disaster responders, and other emergency personnel worked together to rescue residents trapped in the affected area. Using ropes, Lubao police carefully escorted families out of unstable homes.

Authorities said two of the destroyed houses were built within a designated no-build zone, and residents will no longer be allowed to return to those locations.

The Lubao municipal government, together with the Provincial Government of Pampanga, has pledged assistance to families who lost their homes, while the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has already distributed relief goods to affected residents.

A rescuer carries a resident on his back through waist-deep floodwaters.

For homeowner Illuminada M. Cañeba, the disaster was something she never imagined experiencing.
She said she had lived through floods since 2003 but had never seen water destroy homes this way. Caught off guard by the speed of the flooding, she managed to save almost nothing.

“I was trembling. I didn’t even have slippers. We kept walking back and forth in the rain, soaking wet. You never know what it feels like until you lose your home. I thought I only saw houses collapse like that on television,” she recalled.

Student Zekiah Anne De Velez said her family rushed to move their valuables, appliances, school uniforms, and books to the second floor, hoping they would be safe from the rising floodwaters. But in the blink of an eye, everything was swept away as the raging current tore their house apart.

De Velez said it breaks her heart to see the home her mother built over the years as an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) disappeared in an instant.

Lubao Police Chief Police Lieutenant Colonel Derek Relativo said responders also prioritized the welfare of vulnerable evacuees, including senior citizens, children, and residents with medical conditions.

Medical teams have been deployed to evacuation sites while authorities continue monitoring the affected community for additional risks as floodwaters remain a threat. — BM, GMA News