Pampanga folk break silence after years of flooding

MONTHS-LONG FLOODS Floodwaters in Barangay Batasan in Macabebe, Pampanga, shown here on Sept. 27, have turned dirty and foul-smelling as it cannot recede due to bad drainage systems, sinking in murky water many parts of the town, and those in neighboring coastal town of Masantol, which are worsen by severe rains during typhoons. —PHOTO COURTESY OF JOMEL CRUZ

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO—For older residents of low-lying, centuries-old Pampanga towns of Macabebe and Masantol, they had accepted floods as a way life and floodwaters were used to irrigate rice fields, refresh rivers, and flush out saltwater.

But over the past two decades, flooding has become more frequent and persistent—often taking months to subside and residents adapted without protest.

But that silence will finally break on Thursday.

The Saingsing People’s Rally (Lament of the People’s Rally) on that day will mark the first collective protest by Macabebe and Masantol residents against corruption, said Rey Yumang, one of the organizers, along with leaders from local religious and civic groups.

A march from Sta. Lucia Bridge in Masantol to Macabebe Plaza is scheduled for 12:30 p.m., while another from San Gabriel Chapel in Macabebe will begin at 1:30 p.m. Both groups will walk through flooded roads and converge at San Nicolas de Tolentino Parish in Macabebe.

In an invitation posted online, the organizers declared: “The national government failed us! The system has been corrupted! We are slowly being killed by drowning! We are gradually losing our future!”

Affected communities

They condemned widespread corruption—particularly in flood control projects—and demanded long-term, concrete solutions and the prosecution of those responsible.

As of Sept. 27, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported 82 flooded barangays across 14 towns and cities in Pampanga.

Macabebe had 19 flooded barangays, and Masantol, 26. Floodwaters—rising from 0.3 meters to 1.5 meters (1 feet to 5 feet)—were caused by high tides, monsoon rains, Supertyphoon “Nando” (international name: Ragasa) and Severe Tropical Storm “Opong (Bualoi).

The floods have affected 52,056 families, or 169,405 people, most of them in Macabebe (54,586) and Masantol (80,524).

“Since July, ali na melangi (the villages haven’t dried),” said Jomel Cruz, head of the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office.

Around 10,000 families in both towns have been displaced since 1992, when the government widened the mouth of Pampanga River from 250 meters to 750 meters using Japanese loans, as part of the Pampanga Delta Development Project. Nearly 300 chapels and schools were relocated.

According to Masantol former Vice Mayor Bajun Lacap, over 2,000 families—whose livelihoods depend on fishing and aquaculture—chose to remain in seven villages along the widened channel, building homes on high-risk areas despite being paid for their land.

A P600-million bridge project connecting Masantol’s left bank to Calumpit, Bulacan, has been delayed for five years, despite the funding awarded to Eddmari Construction and Trading Co.

In August 2022, President Marcos Jr. inaugurated the Korean-funded Integrated Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation Project-Stage 1 in Masantol. However, locals said rising sea levels have rendered the project’s check gates almost ineffective. —WITH A REPORT FROM CARMELA REYES-ESTROPE