HAGONOY, Bulacan – High tide and non-stop heavy rains since Monday last week have flooded nine barangays in two towns in this province.
Seven barangays in Hagonoy – San Pablo, Sta. Elena, Sagrada, San Nicolas, San Sebastian, Sto. Nino, and San Pedro – have been submerged by one to three feet of rising flood waters.
Two barangays in Pambong – Sto. Nino and San Isidro II – are also flooded.
Prominent personalities reacted and proposed ways to stop the floods on social media.
Overseas Filipino workers advocate Susan Ople said that they need technical guidance to combat floods. Ople has requested Jun S. Aguilar, executive vice president of Ron Daniel Construction Corp., to help them put together a proper study and recommendations on the perennial floodwaters in Hagonoy.
“Noon, tuwing may bagyo bumabaha. Ngayon, high tide lang, bumabaha na sa bayan ng Hagonoy. Hanggang kailan magdudusa ang aming bayan? Pakiusap po sa mga kinauukulan, pakihanap ng solusyon ang pagbaha ng tubig hindi lamang sa Hagonoy kung hindi sa kabuuan ng dakilang lalawigan ng Bulakan,” Ople said in a Facebook post.
Aguilar said that new topographical survey must be conducted in Hagonoy and nearby areas. He also recommended a serious geo-technical study which includes hydrodynamic analysis and urban planning.
He also sees multiple factors that could be affecting the area which needs massive work and funding.
“Siguro nga totoo yun effect ng climate change. Tumataas na ang water level malapit sa coastline,” folk singer Freddie Aguilar also said on Facebook.
“Meron na hong tech para maaayos at mawala na ang baha, kaso ang ginagawa nila ay paraan lang. Kung baga, maintenance lang imbes na solusyunan. Inilapit na ho ‘yan sa DPWH, nagtataka rin ho kami kung bakit ayaw nila gawin samantalang ‘yun hong pagbaha sa Florida sa Amerika ay nasolusyunan na ng tech na ‘yan,” Aguilar said.
Residents here also chimed in on their wet predicament.
“Mayroon ding ibang solusyon ang pagbaha na ‘to. Una, kailangan hukayin na ang kailugan para di umapaw ang tubig sa kabahayan at kalsada, sobrang mababaw na kasi ang kailugan ng Bulacan. At isa pa, kung talagang gusto ng karamihan na masolusyunan ito, wala na sanang magtatapon ng basura sa mga kailugan ng buong lalawigan,” they said.
Bulacan Gov. Wilhelmino M. Sy-Alvarado three years ago urged the Department of Public Works and Highways to bring back the original water carrying capacity of the Labangan flood control channel of seven meters to address the perennial flooding dilemma in the coastal towns of Calumpit and here.
The governor said that regular dredging of major rivers in other parts of Central Luzon should be also revived as most of the waterways where flood waters from the eastern part of Luzon flow through are now heavily silted.
“If the Labangan Channel will be restored to its original water holding capacity, it will complement the flood control capability of the Pampanga Delta project. It is also high time to dredge not only the Labangan channel but other major rivers as well so that back floods will flow to this flood control channels and thus prevent the rivers from overflowing towards low lying villages in Calumpit and Hagonoy,” Alvarado had said.
-FREDDIE G. VELEZ
