3 Pampanga towns declare state of calamity due to flood

MABALACAT CITY, Pampanga — Three towns in Pampanga have declared a state of calamity due to floods caused by Typhoon Egay (international name: Doksuri) and persistent southwest monsoon rains.

On Sunday, July 30, the Sangguinang Pambayan (municipal council) of Sto. Tomas passed a resolution placing the town under a state of calamity. It was approved by Acting Mayor Matias Pineda.

In the resolution, the municipal officials said 2,587 families or 9,339 residents in seven villages of Sto. Tomas have been affected by floods, and some P7.25 million worth of agriculture and fishery products were damaged in the town.

On Saturday, July 29, the municipal councils of Macabebe and San Simon towns passed resolutions declaring their respective towns under a state of calamity.

Macabebe officials cited the P119.3 million worth of damages to the town’s agri-fisheries sector and the 24,561 families or 79,200 individuals affected by floods. They said 612 persons were brought to evacuation facilities.

The resolution was passed and approved by San Simon officials, citing the floodings in the town’s 14 villages that affected “almost all of the families” who are clamoring for government assistance.

In his social media post late afternoon on Sunday, Pampanga Governor Dennis Pineda said the local governments of Macabebe, San Simon, and Sto. Tomas can now use their respective 30 percent quick reaction funds to aid the families and individuals affected by floods.

Egay poured rains over Luzon since last Monday before it made landfall over Aparri, Cagayan on Wednesday. It left the country on Thursday but enhanced the effects of the southwest monsoon which brought more rains on Friday and Saturday in north Luzon areas.

READ: Pagasa: Flooding may occur in Western Visayas areas due to Egay, ‘habagat’