Flooding hits Pampanga’s 19 towns, three cities

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga — Typhoon “Carina” has triggered extensive flooding across Pampanga, impacting all 19 towns and three cities, and displacing more than 120,000 individuals across 96 villages, according to the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO).

Reports from the PDRRMO indicate that the number of displaced families or individuals could be higher as assessments from various areas are ongoing.

The province is divided into three regions:

Western part: Includes Porac and Floridablanca municipalities, the city of Mabalacat, and Angeles City.

Central part: Comprising Magalang, Arayat, Mexico, Santa Ana, Bacolor, Santa Rita, Guagua, Lubao, Sasmuan, and the City of San Fernando.

Eastern part: Consisting of Candaba, San Luis, Santo Tomas, San Simon, Minalin, Apalit, Macabebe and Masantol municipalities.

Among the hardest-hit areas are Apalit, Bacolor, Lubao, Candaba, Macabebe, Masantol, Mexico, Minalin, Sasmuan, Sto. Tomas, and the city of San Fernando, experiencing flooding reaching three to five feet.

As of 3 p.m. yesterday, 77 individuals from 17 families have been relocated to designated evacuation centers, according to the disaster office.

Meanwhile, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian and Pampanga Governor Dennis “Delta” Pineda have extended assistance to flood-affected residents in Sasmuan and Macabebe, Pampanga.

Pineda, alongside Special Assistant to the Governor and PDRRM chief Angelina Blanco, acting PSWDO Fe Manarang, and personnel from PDRRMO, PSWDO, and GSO, distributed food packs to 9,095 families affected by the flooding in the coastal barangays of Macabebe (5,615 families) and Sasmuan (3,480 families) on Wednesday, 24 July.

The PDRRMO, under Pineda’s leadership, in partnership with DSWD, also provided relief supplies to four villages in the coastal town of Minalin.