THE city government of Malolos and the municipality of Calumpit in the province of Bulacan have placed their respective areas under a State of Calamity.
Damage to agriculture and road infrastructure due to the southwest monsoon enhanced by Typhoon Fabian, coupled with the high tide from Manila Bay, has already reached more than P157 million in the province of Bulacan.
As the effects of the high tide and continued rising of water levels in several villages, the town of Calumpit, under Resolution No. 112-2021, was declared under a State of Partial Calamity.
Meanwhile, in accordance with approved Resolution no. 02-2021 on July 28, the City of Malolos was also declared under a State of Calamity.
Bulacan Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) chief Liz Mungcal reported that southwest monsoon rains spawned flooding while the high tide submerged 106 low-lying barangays in five towns and a city in Bulacan province. It was learned that seven more towns were flooded but were not reported to the PDRRMC.
Mungcal said that Malolos City and Calumpit town were the most devastated by high floodwaters, wherein 29 villages in Malolos City and 22 vilages in Calumpit were affected.
Also submerged in floodwaters were 18 villages in the towns of Hagonoy, 19 villages in Bocaue, 15 in Paombong, and three in Guiguinto. Other towns affected of floodwaters were Balagtas, Sta. Maria, Meycauayan City, Pulilan, Obando and Bulakan,
She added that a total of 1,350 Bulacan farmers and 471 fishermen were affected by the floodwaters.
Damages include 1,147.60 hectares of rice lands affecting 907 farmers: 1,562.19 hectares of fishpond affecting 471 fishermen. Floods also damaged 67.79 hectares of vegetable farms and affected 441 farmers and 0.48 hectares of cornland for two farmers.
Damage to rice crops was placed at approximately P20.643 million; P53.407 million in terms of fisheries, vegetables at P15.792 million and corn farm at P5,214 for a total of more than P95.056 million, while livestock damage was pegged at approximately P294,800.
Based on the report of the First District Engineering Office and Provincial Engineer’s Office (PEO), damage to road infrastructure was at P62.05 million, and P3.2 million in provincial government buildings.
First District Engineer Henry Alcantara said palliative measures were already undertaken as various road sections of major national highways, both concrete and asphalt, were moderate to severely damaged.
Alcantara immediately directed Engr. Erning Daos, chief of the Maintenance Division to undertake patching of potholes and to temporarily cover the damaged road sections with asphalt to ensure the safety of motorists.
Meanwhile, as of 5 p.m. on Friday, more than 33.7 cubic meters per second (cms) of water were continuously released by Ipo Dam as well as 78 cms released at Bustos Dam via Gates 1 and 2.
Data from the PDRRMC of Bulacan showed that water elevation at Angat, Ipo, and Bustos dams were at 190.78 meters; 100.69 meters; and 17.10 meters, respectively as of 5 p.m. Friday.
A total of 40 evacuation centers were established in Bulakan, Calumpit, Malolos. Pamobong, Hagonoy, Pulilan, Bocaue, Guiguinto, Balagtas, and Obando that temporarily houses 537 families or 1,656 individuals.
(PHOTO CREDIT: Balitang Bulakenyo Facebook page)