IT SEEMS the problem of floods in Central Luzon is not anymore confined to Pampanga and Bulacan, which were the provinces visited by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. following the widespread flooding following the catastrophe left by typhoons Egay (Doksuri) and Falcon (Khanun) last July and August.
The flooding woe has spread to Bataan, as residents of barangays Puting Buhangin and Sta. Elena in Orion town woke up one Monday morning to be greeted by a huge flood that turned the busy Roman Superhighway into a virtual river.
The long-time residents of Orion are surprised because first, Roman Superhighway is considerably higher than the secondary roads in the area, and both sides of the highway are where commercial and residential structures have been constructed.
Second, there was only minimal rainfall that fell during the night, and no heavy downpour of monsoon rains in the area. It was also the first time that deep floodwaters were observed in the major highway, making the thoroughfare impassable to cars, small vehicles and SUVs and stranding both motorists and commuters.
Floods in Pampanga, Bulacan
The flood picture in Orion, Bataan harks back to the situation in the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) portion in San Simon, Pampanga in August when several kilometers of traffic jam was created by the floods.
The Inquirer noted that this region is part of the Candaba Swamp, which acts as a natural flood retention basin, holding the overflow from five smaller rivers before draining into the Pampanga River. The Pampanga River, in turn, flows into Manila Bay, creating a complex network that leads to perennial flooding in the towns of Pampanga, Bulacan, and Nueva Ecija.
President Bongbong led in the distribution of assistance then to victims of the floods that inundated the towns of Guagua, Sasmuan, Lubao, Arayat, Mexico, Apalit, Candaba, Macabebe, Masantol, Minalin, San Luis, San Simon, Sto. Tomas, Bacolor, Sta. Ana and Porac in Pampanga.
Also recipients of aid from the President were the Bulacan towns of San Miguel, Hagonoy, Pulilan, San Rafael, San Ildefonso, Bustos, Calumpit, Paombong, Bulakan and the city of Malolos.
Also during the distribution of financial assistance, President Marcos ordered the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to come up with long-term solutions to the flooding in Central Luzon.
Marcos and DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan talked about the construction of water impounding projects, river dredging, road elevation and new bridge construction works.
Commercial, industrial area
The portion of Roman Superhighway in Orion, Bataan that was hit by floodwaters has become a vibrant commercial and industrial area, with the resurgence of buildings and other construction projects there.
This was the observation of Vladimir Moreno, chief of the Orion municipal disaster risk reduction management office, who told newsmen they rushed to the area and monitored the situation but could do nothing to lessen the impact of the flood.
The Roman Superhighway is a busy thoroughfare used by almost all kinds of vehicles — gas tankers, heavy trucks carrying raw materials and finished products from factories in Limay and the Freeport Area of Bataan in Mariveles as well as daily commuters and motorists.
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