Bulacan town submerged in floodwater for past 2 weeks

Residents in several barangays in the town of Calumpit, Bulacan have been wading in floodwater for the past two weeks. 

According to Mark Salazar’s report in “24 Oras” on Tuesday, floods in Barangays Meysulao and Gatbuca have yet to improve with water level reaching up to chest-deep. 

In Barangay Frances, residents have to walk a distance of two kilometers in floodwater if they do not want to pay for a boat ride. 

“Ang hirap lumabas, kaya kapag lalabas ka gawin mo na ang lahat,” a resident said. 

(It’s hard everytime you leave the house, so if you will go out, make sure to do everything that you need to do.) 

Even as floods are normal for the people of Calumpit, they still find them inconvenient. 

“Hindi nga po namin alam kung may solusyon pa yung baha na ito, wala na kasi,” said Karen Melo. “Sinubok po yung dike po doon kaya lang po hindi matapos-tapos.”

(We are not sure if there’s still a solution to this flood, because there seems to be none. They tried to construct a dike but it has yet to be finished.) 

The floods in Calumpit are not only troublesome, but also deadly after Melo lost her husband who recently drowned in the flood. 

“Natisod po siya, natisod na po ito, nalulunod po. Hindi po agad-agad dumadating ang rescue gawa ng baha,” Melo lamented. 

(He tripped and drowned. The rescue came late because of the flood.) 

Meanwhile, the floodwater in Barangay San Miguel is beyond the average human height. Traces of communities that were abandoned from previous floodings are still evident. 

There are over 1,400 houses in Barangay San Miguel still submerged in flood, the report said.

“Kung hindi pa po tayo magpapa-pump out or hindi magpapalimas papunta sa ilog ng Pampanga, hindi na po matutuyo ‘yan.  Dati rati po hindi binabaha ang lugar na ito, ngayon po hindi na natutuyuan ng tubig,” said barangay chairperson Arthur Binuya. 

(If we do not pump out or expel the water towards the Pampanga River, the flood will not recede. We haven't experienced flooding before, but right now the waters no longer subside.) 

Many barangay residents are currently sheltered in a newly-established evacuation center. Unfortunately, the contractor did not put up washrooms in the facility. 

But what matters for the barangay is to have a dike to control the water from the Pampanga River. 

“Ayun nga po malaking gastos po, mula Apalit, Pampanga hanggang Macabebe, Pampanga, aabot ‘yan ng three and a half kilometers…Unti-unting nagtataas ng riprap, ang problema nga po ay yung unang gawa ng riprap, may kababaan po,” said Binuya. 

Riprap are loose stones used to form a foundation for a breakwater or other structure such as a dike.

(It will be expensive to do that because from Apalit, Pampanga up to Macabebe, Pampanga, it’s already three and a half kilometers….They slowly raise the riprap because initially it was low.)  — Vince Angelo Ferreras/RF, GMA Integrated News