Pineda said Pampanga could no longer cope with the water cascading from Aurora and Nueva Ecija and from the Sierra Madre.
“That is why I am asking the President to have mercy on my fellow Cabalens. Pampanga could disappear from the map. But apparently there is already a solution and the President has instructed the NIA to build Sabo dams in the Sierra Madre. The water can be stored there instead of rushing down into Pampanga. There is hope. And the President wants a long-term solution,” Pineda said in Filipino.
A Sabo dam is a type of check dam built across mountain streams and upper river reaches to slow and control the movement of debris, mud, rocks and logs during heavy rains and flash floods while allowing normal water and sediment to pass through.
Flood control still problem
The governor’s appeal came as Marcos, accompanied by Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon, conducted an aerial inspection of areas in Pampanga and Bulacan devastated by the recent typhoons and the enhanced southwest monsoon.
Marcos acknowledged that the sheer volume of rain had overwhelmed the country’s flood management systems, but said the flooding could not be attributed solely to deficiencies in flood control projects.
“We really felt the tremendous amount of rain and the enormous volume of water that fell, which overwhelmed all our flood management programs,” Marcos told reporters.
“The problem is clearly visible. We know, for example, that many flood control projects in Bulacan were not completed, which is why we are experiencing this situation. But we also need to understand that this is not only because of problems with flood control projects. The intensity of the rainfall was also unprecedented in the history of the Philippines,” he added.
Marcos said climate change was a major factor for the severe flooding in Central Luzon and should be considered alongside deficiencies in flood control infrastructure.
“This is the result of climate change. People need to understand that climate change is already here and that we are being affected by it. Nevertheless, we have made decisions on the immediate, medium-term and long-term measures that need to be undertaken,” he said.
For the immediate response, Marcos said the government would repair damaged infrastructure and reassess areas once the floodwaters recede.
“In the immediate term, of course, we will repair what was damaged and go back to all the affected areas. That is the most urgent thing that needs to be done. The problem is that we are not yet sure whether the rain will stop,” he said.
“In some areas, the water is still there, so we cannot yet assess the extent of the damage because they are still flooded. We have to wait for the water to recede,” he added.
Sabo dams, dikes
Marcos said the government is also pursuing five Sabo River Dam projects in Nueva Ecija that would help manage the water flowing from the Sierra Madre.
“These will help reduce the speed of the water as it comes down, reduce siltation, and allow us to store water that can later be used for household and industrial purposes as well as agricultural irrigation,” he said.
Sabo dams are part of the government’s long-term flood management master plan, Marcos said, alongside proposed dikes in parts of Bataan.
He said another component would be a massive dike-and-road project stretching about 100 kilometers that would help shield communities from water coming from Manila Bay.
“That is about 100 kilometers, so it will take some time. But we are already studying it so that, at the very least, we have a plan and can begin work on this very long dike and road that will block the water coming from the sea, from Manila Bay,” Marcos said.
For Pineda, however, the need is immediate as Pampanga continues to absorb water from surrounding areas and endure increasingly destructive flooding.
Her appeal underscored the growing pressure on the national government to pursue both immediate relief and long-term flood management solutions as Central Luzon confronts increasingly severe weather events.
