LIVE UPDATES: Habagat rains affect parts of PH on Monday, Aug. 31, 2026

The monstrous traffic jam that affected both the northbound and southbound lanes of the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) stretched as far as 10 kilometers because of the flood, particularly in the San Simon area, since the weekend.

According to Jun Veneracion’s report on “24 Oras,” some motorists and passengers relieved their bladders on the side of the road while others got of their cars to march to the nearest gasoline stations for their toilet break.

How did the flood on the main expressway cutting through Central Luzon happen?

“Bumabalik eh. ‘Yung matataas na lugar, nadadamay na kasi nagba-backflow ang tubig. Hindi nga makalabas sa Manila Bay,” Pampanga Gov. Lilia Pineda said on Unang Hirit.

“So, talaga ang San Fernando, nagba-backflow iyan kasi hindi sila makababa kasi puno na ang Macabebe, Masantol, ‘yung mga nasa downstream natin,” she added.

Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon said it’s because of the volume of water that the Southwest Monsoon or Habagat brought over the weekend.

“It’s really the volume of water. Walang puntahan talaga ang tubig,” Dizon said.

“Kahit maglagay tayo ng mga pumps d’yan… yung tubig babalik at babalik din,” he added.

A similar flood and heavy traffic happened on NLEX in 2023, and the expressway management raised the level of some of

"Kailangan magkaroon tayo ng mga infrastructure na pagdadalhan ng napakaraming tubig na nanggagaling hindi laman sa Pampanga River at sa bundok, kundi nanggagaling na rin sa dagat, sa Manila Bay," Dizon said.

A yellow rainfall alert remains in effect over parts of Zambales and Tarlac as of Monday afternoon due to the effects of the Southwest Monsoon or Habagat.

Yellow rainfall warning (flooding is expected in flood-prone areas):

•     Zambales (Botolan, Cabangan, Candelaria, Iba, Masinloc, Palauig, Santa Cruz, San Felipe, San Narciso)
•     Tarlac (Camiling, Mayantoc, San Clemente, San Jose, Santa Ignacia, Capas)

In its 2 p.m. advisory, PAGASA also said the following are experiencing light to moderate with occasional heavy rain which may persist within three hours and affect nearby areas:

•     Nueva Ecija
•     Tarlac (Concepcion, Tarlac City, Gerona, La Paz, Paniqui, Pura, Ramos, Victoria, Bamban, Anao, San Manuel, Moncada)
•     Pampanga (Arayat, Bacolor, Candaba, San Fernando, Magalang, Mexico, San Luis, San Simon, Santa Ana, Santo Tomas, Angeles, Mabalacat, Guagua, Porac, Santa Rita)
•     Zambales (Castillejos, San Antonio, San Marcelino)

Meanwhile, light to moderate with occasional heavy rains are expected in the following areas within the next three hours:

• Bataan
• Bulacan (Angat, Balagtas, Bocaue, Bustos, Malolos, Guiguinto, Norzagaray, Pandi, Paombong, Plaridel, Santa Maria, Calumpit, Hagonoy, Bulakan, Baliuag, Dona Remedios Trinidad, Pulilan, San Ildefonso, San Rafael, San Miguel).

The reported death toll due to the combined effects of tropical cyclones Luis, Maymay, and Neneng as well as the Southwest Monsoon or Habagat has reached 33, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said Monday.

At a press conference, OCD Disaster Preparedness Service director Gregorio Tomas added that 19 people were injured and three remained missing as of 12 noon.

A total of 8.8 million people or 2.5 million families were affected by the weather in Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Western Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Calabarzon, Cordillera Administrative Region, Metro Manila, and Mimaropa. — RSJ, GMA News

Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon said Monday he will look into allegations that the flooding in Olongapo City was due to a solar power plant.

“Hindi ko po alam ‘yung tungkol sa solar power plant na ‘yan,” Dizon said in an interview on Balitanghali when asked about residents claiming that the flooding was due to trees being cut down to give way to the power plant.

(I don’t know anything about that solar power plant.)

“Makikipagugnayan po tayo sa Department of Energy, sa DENR, tungkol dito sa tinayong planta na ito. At ano talagang nangyari dito bat nagkaganyan ganyan,” he added.

(We will coordinate with the Department of Energy and the DENR regarding this plant that was constructed, to determine what actually happened and why it ended up this way.)

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) on Monday said heavy equipment and materials for the construction of a temporary Bailey bridge following the collapse of Agana Bridge in Tarlac City have arrived at the site.

“Ngayon po, ang pinaka-priority natin ay mapadaanan natin ulit ang Agana Bridge. Nag-mobilize na po tayo ng mga kagamitan at materyales. Dumating na po onsite,” DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon said in an interview with Balitanghali.

(Right now, our top priority is to make Agana Bridge passable again. We have already mobilized the necessary equipment and materials, and they have arrived on-site.)

More than 3,700 barangays nationwide are susceptible to rain-induced landslides and flooding due to Tropical Depression Pilandok and the Southwest Monsoon (Habagat), the Department of Environment and Natural Resources' Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) said.

According to the MGB, 3,786 barangays are susceptible to geohazards from August 30 to September 2, based on rainfall forecasts from the state weather bureau PAGASA.

Pampanga Governor Lilia Pineda on Monday urged residents affected by severe flooding to pray, prepare their own family emergency plans, and not rely entirely on the government for their safety.

“Ang una po muna talaga, ang makakapagpigil 'yung ating Panginoon. Magdasal po tayo kasi po kalamidad na hindi naman natin kagustuhan. So sana po makinig lang po kayo sa mga abiso, 'pag may warning sumunod po tayo. Wala po tayong kailangang tanungin dito, dasal at makinig sa mga babala, sa mga warning," Pineda said in an interview with GMA News’ Unang Balita.

(First of all, the one who can stop this is God. Let us pray because this is a calamity that we did not wish for. We hope you will listen to the advisories and follow them when there is a warning. Pray and heed the warning.)

She urged residents to heed government warnings, prepare for emergencies, and prioritize the safety of their families.