DESPITE the fair weather recently, the local government here placed the entire municipality under a state of calamity because all barangays remained flooded.
In a special session, the Sangguniang Bayan of San Simon approved Resolution No. 18-020 which declared the municipality under a state of calamity upon the recommendation of the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
According to Councilor Archiebald Basilio, the continuous and uninterrupted rains brought by the southwest monsoon and several weather disturbances triggered flooding in several barangays, especially those situated along the riverside.
It has been sunny in the past few days, but Basilio said floodwaters continued to rise due to the overflowing of the Pampanga River. All 14 barangays are affected.
“During the rains, the barangays along the Quezon Road where the only ones affected but as of now, 13 of the 14 barangays are affected because those waters from higher places just start to go down to the low-lying areas,” Basilio said.
Mayor Leonora Wong said that almost 2,000 families or about 5,000 individuals were already by the flooding, which has also damaged crops.
“Our barangay officials have already submitted their situational reports and are ready to mobilize their calamity funds to provide assistance to affected residents. Our agriculture sector is already affected but we cannot provide yet the cost of damages because our Municipal Agriculture Office is still conducting an assessment,” she said.
Aside from the assistance from the barangays, Wong said the local government is also set to provide augmentation funding to help the thousands of flood victims in the town.
Meanwhile, Wong reminded all residents to always be careful and alert on the possible further rise of floodwaters and immediately evacuate to avoid any untoward incident.
“I understand that you are hesitant to leave your houses but please prioritize the safety of your family, especially children and women. Our evacuation centers are ready to accommodate you if the water reaches the alert level,” she said.
San Simon is the second municipality in Pampanga to declare a state of calamity, following Masantol town which is still submerged in floodwater.