Governor Lilia Pineda has reiterated her call to desilt the Pampanga River as a solution to flooding in the province.
Pineda renewed her appeal to the national government to prioritize the desilting of the Pampanga River and fund long-term flood mitigation projects.
The governor stressed that heavily-silted rivers cause flooding.
She also mentioned broken canals that could no longer handle the volume of rainfall.
“We are doing our part at the provincial level, but solving this problem requires inter-agency coordination and a serious investment from the national government. Desilting the river is critical not just for disaster response but also for protecting agriculture and livelihoods,” the governor said.
Pineda added that desilting must cover the 34-kilometer stretch of the Pampanga River, which covers the towns of Arayat, Candaba, Macabebe, Masantol, Lubao, and Sasmuan.
She noted that the accumulation of debris and waste have significantly reduced the river’s capacity to hold and drain water.
In Barangay Sta. Rita, Lubao, P50 million in damages were recorded following the collapse of a dike and pavement, the Capitol said.
In Floridablanca, around P70 million worth of infrastructure were destroyed.
The local government cited the P30 million damage in Barangay Sto. Rosario due to the collapse of existing slope protection along the Caulaman River; P30 million in losses due to a collapsed dike along the Santol Creek in San Jose; and P10 million in damage from settlement of slope protection in Barangay Dampe.
In Guagua town, the lope protection along the National Irrigation Administration irrigation canal in Ligaya–Talang area collapsed, which resulted to P30 million worth of damages.
Lambac, also in Guagua, sustained P20 million in damages from settlement of a slope protection.
In Mabalacat City, the damaged slope protection at Sapang Balen amounted to P10 million.
A partially-damaged road in San Vicente, Apalit and Paralaya, Candaba cost P30 million and P40 million, respectively.
Partially damaged flood control structures were also reported in San Simon amounting to P132 million and Macabebe amounting to P25 million.
Other damages include a riprap in Sasmuan town worth P20 million, and scouring of road shoulder in Minalin worth P5 million.
The flooding destroyed some P432 million worth of infrastructure, which has affected more than 250 villages across the province after the onslaught of three typhoons.
The Department of Public Works and Highways said that more than P1 billion will be needed to address flood control infrastructure issues in the province.
The rehabilitation will include repairs to broken dikes, enhancement of slope protection structures, and river desilting efforts.
"These are not merely engineering concerns but essential actions to safeguard communities, livelihoods, and public infrastructure," Pineda said.