President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Wednesday ordered the installation of barriers and the construction of a Sabo Dam upstream of the Sto. Cristo Dam to prevent debris from blocking the facility and causing floodwaters to overflow to nearby areas.
Marcos issued the directive after inspecting the Sto. Cristo Dam at Barangay Sta. Rita in Lubao, Pampanga, where he clarified that the dam was not damaged but was blocked by debris, including logs, causing water to divert from its intended path.
“Hindi naman pala na-damage ‘yung dam. Kung hindi, ang nangyari nabara dahil hindi basura kundi ‘yung debris, mga troso na siguro nagpuputol sila na illegal logging sa taas, bumababa rito, nabara ngayon ‘yung dam, umikot ‘yung tubig (It turned out that the dam was not damaged. What happened was that it became clogged, not by garbage, but by debris, probably logs from illegal logging activities upstream that came down and blocked the dam, causing the water to overflow),” he said.
He said the blockage caused the water to find another route, damaging a wall and contributing to the collapse of a house along the river.
He said the government would rebuild the damaged wall and install a Sabo Dam upstream as a long-term measure to prevent debris from reaching and blocking the dam.
Marcos added that barriers would be installed as an immediate response to ensure that logs, debris, and other materials would not reach the dam.
“Lahat ng dam natin ngayon kailangan na natin maglagay ng ganyan sa mga upstream ay lalagyan natin (All our dams now need to have something like this installed upstream. We will put them in place),” Marcos said, adding that the measures would be implemented where practical and appropriate.
Meanwhile, Marcos said traffic conditions along the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) were improving, particularly on the northbound lane. He said the northbound travel time had dropped to about 45 minutes, while the southbound lane remained affected by flooding.
He explained that pumping water from the southbound portion remained difficult because the area is lower and surrounding water levels are already high.
Marcos nevertheless assured the public that the government is exploring other options, including excavating areas where flooded waters could be redirected away from the highway.
“Kung makita ninyo ‘yung dinaanan namin kanina, ay pantay lang ‘yung tubig sa magkabila. Kung saan mo bobombahin, ganun din, babalik at babalik din ‘yan. Pero makakahanap tayo ng paraan (If you saw the area we passed through earlier, the water level was the same on both sides. Wherever you pump the water, it will just return, but we will find a way),” he said.
“Iniisip namin na huhukayin ‘yung mga ibang lugar doon para doon iikot ‘yung tubig imbis na pupunta sa kalsada (We are considering excavating other areas so that the water can flow there instead of going onto the road).” (PNA)
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