State of calamity recommended in Bataan due to flooding, governor says

Bataan Governor Jose Enrique Garcia III said the provincial council has recommended placing the province under a state of calamity due to flooding amid the effects of Southwest Monsoon or Habagat.

Interviewed on GMA News’ Unang Balita, Garcia said flooding was reported in Hermosa, Dinalupihan, and Mariveles.

“Kahapon sa aming PDRRM emergency council meeting, nag-rekomenda na rin po kami ng state of calamity. Kaya alam ko ngayong araw ‘yan pag-uusapan ng Sangguniang Panlalawigan,” Garcia said.

(Yesterday, during our PDRRM emergency council meeting, we recommended declaring a state of calamity. So, I know the Sangguniang Panlalawigan will be discussing that today.)

More than 4,000 residents were brought to evacuation centers, while another 4,000 took temporary shelter to the houses of their relatives, according to the governor.

Garcia said the heavy rains have also affected residents’ livelihoods as many have been unable to report for work.

“Dahil itong nakaraang 18 araw, tuloy-tuloy yung pag-ulan, umabot na itong rainfall, yung bumagsak na tubig, mga nasa more than 1,400 millimeters. Kaya medyo saturated na talaga yung lupa at kapag biglang umuulan ngayon na malakas, hindi na rin talaga ma-absorb kaya bumaha pero lumalabas din naman kaagad,” he said.

(Because it has been raining continuously for the past 18 days, the accumulated rainfall has already exceeded 1,400 millimeters. Consequently, the soil is truly saturated; when heavy rain falls now, the ground can no longer absorb it, leading to flooding—though the water does recede quickly.)

“More than one month's worth of heavy rain na po yan,” he added.

(That's more than one month's worth of heavy rain.)

According to Garcia, the provincial government has been requesting flood-control projects from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), including river dredging and desilting.

He said DPWH Undersecretary Charles Calima recently visited Bataan to discuss possible short-term measures, while the province continues to coordinate with the DPWH regional office and district engineers on long-term solutions.

Garcia said the province is looking at a coastal defense system as a permanent solution to flooding.

According to him, rainwater from the mountains of Bataan and neighboring provinces eventually flows toward Manila Bay. High tide pushes the water back inland.

This makes interventions at the barangay and municipal levels insufficient during periods of extreme rainfall and high tide.

The proposed coastal defense system has been submitted to the Regional Development Council and is being studied by the national government.

Garcia also said Bataan hopes to work with institutions such as the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to conduct a pre-feasibility study for the proposed project. —Joviland Rita/ VAL, GMA News