CITY OF MALOLOS — At least 139 barangays in 14 towns and cities in Bulacan remain submerged in floodwaters ranging from one to five feet, according to the latest report from the Bulacan Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO).
The affected areas include barangays in Calumpit, Bocaue, Pulilan, Balagtas, Guiguinto, Hagonoy, Paombong, San Rafael, Bulakan, Marilao, and Pandi, as well as the cities of Malolos, Meycauayan, and Baliwag.
The flooding has displaced 1,487 families, or 4,768 individuals, who have been brought to evacuation centers due to neck-deep floodwaters in some areas.
Among the hardest-hit communities is Sapang Bayan in Calumpit, where 50 families have been evacuated.
Residents said they have been staying in evacuation centers for two weeks already and still do not know when they will be able to return home because of the continuous rainfall.
One of the evacuees, Valeria Sambile of Sapang Bayan, was seen boarding a boat to evacuate. She said the water level had risen rapidly, leaving her frightened because she has several illnesses and does not know how to swim.
Because of the high floodwaters in the barangay, boats are being used to transport residents in and out of the area, especially those who need to report to work.
Boat operators, meanwhile, have been navigating the flooded roads from morning until night, depending on the requests of residents. They also remain soaked in floodwater throughout the day as they pull their boats through areas where the water has reached neck level.
When Punto visited the area, some residents were staying on the second floor of their homes because the floodwaters had already reached their necks.
According to Sapang Bayan Barangay Chairman Arson Lucas Gutierrez, the flooding was caused by a combination of rainwater, high tide, runoff from Pampanga and Nueva Ecija, and the release of water from Bustos Dam.
Gutierrez said the barangay has long been dealing with the problem and hopes it will finally be addressed through a strong and effective flood control program.
Meanwhile, the PDRRMO reported that damage to agriculture and fisheries has reached P130 million, while losses in livestock and poultry have totaled P4.4 million due to the incessant rains.