Minalin, Pampanga battles rising floods, lahar as dike breaches

MINALIN, Pampanga — Vice Governor Dennis “Delta” Pineda on Sunday rallied all sectors to come together and protect more than 20,000 residents here from rising floodwaters and remobilized lahar threatening the town.

The San Fernando–Sto. Tomas–Minalin Tail Dike suffered breaches in Barangay Sta. Catalina and Barangay San Nicolas during the height of the storm, forcing floodwaters and remobilized lahar into nearby communities and prompting urgent, round-the-clock repairs.

According to Pineda, heavy equipment and sheet piles have been rushed to the site to reinforce critical sections and stop further flooding, although several roads remained impassable as of press time.

In a social media post appealing for collective action amid the crisis, Pineda said, “Let us help one another to save the town of Minalin and our more than 20,000 kabalen from floodwaters and remobilized lahar.”

The provincial government, Minalin local government, Office of Congresswoman Anna York Bondoc, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), and San Miguel Corporation have combined equipment, funding and manpower to redirect the Gugu River and reinforce the damaged dike.

“We ask for your prayers that this succeeds and we protect lives and livelihoods,” Pineda added.

Mayor Philip Siojo Naguit warned that the town faces a dual threat — not only from floodwaters but also from lahar and sediment entering communities through the breached structure.

Even as repair work continues, relief teams and community volunteers have stepped up across the town, Naguit said.

Aid distributions have also reached multiple barangays, while residents have come together to clear silt-choked roads, the mayor added.