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Wednesday, September 21, 2005
Pampanga town under state of calamity
By Joel P. Mapiles
CANDABA -- Huge damage to crops, properties, and civil works brought about by incessant rains in the past few days and inundation of some barangays have prompted the Municipal Government to declare Candaba under a state of calamity.
Alex Veneracion, Municipal Government engineer, said the scouring of portions of Arnedo dike's Mandasig, Lanang and Pansinao sections and the breaching of Malisik-Barangca, Mapaniqui, Salapungan sections and Maasim dike's Bahay Pare, Dulong Ilog, Visal Sto Nino, and Pulong Gubat portions caused total damage of P13.25 million.
The breaching of the dikes has resulted in the devastation of 148 farmlands and the inundation of seven barangays under four to five feet of floodwaters.
Also, Veneracion noted the P41.25 million damages to national, municipal, and barangay roads and irrigation canals and drainage system.
Vice Mayor Daniel Gallardo said the extent of damages in crops like palay, melons and honey dew reached over P10 million, affecting hundreds of farmers from Paligui, Mandili, Tagulod, Salapungan, Lourdes, Cuayang Bugtong, Bahay Pare, Visal San Pablo, and Pulong Plazan.
In Barangay San Agustin alone, houses are submerged in nine feet of floodwaters, affecting 90 percent of the households or around 1,000 families. Nonetheless, residents chose to stay in their homes as they said they are used to the situation.
"That's why we declare the town of Candaba under the state of calamity so that we can help those residents who have been affected by the calamity. We should also repair immediately the roads and other infrastructure that were damaged by floodwaters," said Gallardo.
In Barangay Buas, the residents who were affected by the erosion of the riverbank said they want to be relocated to safer grounds, even as they lauded the efforts of Mayor Jerry Pelayo in working for their resettlement in a site near the Arayat-Apalit Setback levee.
Pelayo said some 150 houses would be constructed in the setback levee under the "Gawad Kalinga" program of Senator Francis Pangilinan, with counterpart contribution from the Municipal Government.
Prior to the rainy season, the mayor informed the affected barangays about the projects and asked for their cooperation to the plan for their safety.
He said the soil erosion would not happen along the riverbank in Barangay Buas if the proposed cut-off channel by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) had been realized. (Sun.Star Pampanga/Sunnex)
(September 21, 2005 issue)
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