Heavy rains and tons of garbage clogged a flood gate in Santa Ana, Pampanga, causing water from Matubig Creek to overflow and flood nearby villages and farmlands.

Days of continuous rain led to severe flooding in Santa Ana after Matubig Creek overflowed on September 1, 2025. Officials said the situation worsened because tons of garbage blocked the flood gate of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA).

The blockage damaged the slope protection of the earth dike in Barangay San Agustin, which caused water to spread to nearby villages and rice fields.

“Actually nung pumutok yung slope protection, lumabas na yung tubig sa bukid… actually hanggang San Pablo ang dami ng nasira, lubog na,” Mayor Dinan Labung said.

On September 2, 2025, personnel from the provincial capitol inspected the affected areas and began clearing operations. The province sent a long-arm backhoe to remove trash from the creek, while heavy equipment was also deployed in several sitios to speed up cleanup.

“Yung mga check gate ng segregation natin, nagkakalimutan kung kanino obligasyon, nagkakaturuan kung kanino obligasyon. Kasi kung yung check gate na ito naiangat, hindi tayo magkakaroon ng damage sa mga kabahayan. So, isang discussion siguro with the mayors, NIA para ilagay yung obligation sa barangay level at municipal level, para once na may bagyo, bago pa lang dumating, nakataas na lahat ng check gate na ito,” Vice Governor Dennis “Delta” Pineda said.

The Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) said around 30 truckloads of garbage need to be removed before the creek’s water level can return to normal.

Local officials also appealed to residents to help by properly disposing of their waste. They warned throwing trash into waterways could cause another flood in the future.