Floodwaters isolate Aetas in Tarlac

CAPAS, Tarlac — Some 500 Aeta families in the western end of this town have been isolated since Wednesday afternoon after floodwaters cascading from the slopes of Mt. Pinatubo and the mountains in the boundary of Tarlac, Pampanga and Zambales have swelled the O’Donnell River.

The sudden rise in the river’s level has affected treks to the volcano, which have become an alternative source of income for the natives who serve as guides.

Some trekkers though insist on climbing Pinatubo even during the rainy season, passing through Sitio Target in Sapang Bato in Pampanga.

The main gateway to the volcano’s scenic crater lake, which the Department of Tourism has approved, is Barangay Sta. Juliana here, where Aeta guides usually earn P500 a day for a group of five trekkers.

Particularly affected by the swelling of the O’Donnell River are Barangay Bueno and a smaller Aeta village called Bangal-Tungil.

The Aeta villages have perennially been isolated by floodwaters since lahar spewed by Pinatubo during its eruption in 1991 drastically changed the topography of Central Luzon, clogging and widening river systems.

The heavy downpour unleashed by typhoon "Feria" caused the flooding. Should the O’Donnell River’s swollen level take time to subside, disaster response officials will be forced to airlift relief goods to the affected villagers.

Elsewhere in the province, Barangay Labney in Mayantoc town, another upland Aeta village, has been cut off from the downtown area due to landslides.

Several sitios of the village were further isolated by the rising water from the river channel that snakes from the Zambales-Tarlac mountains to the Camiling River.

The upland Dueg resettlement site in San Clemente town, where Aetas affected by the Mt. Pinatubo eruption were relocated about a decade ago, is also threatened by landslides which might cut off the only road to the area.

In Paniqui town, officials have been mapping out contingency moves should the Barangobong River swell due to floodwaters from the Tarlac River and isolate 10 western barangays.

The Tarlac River is linked to the major river channels of Pangasinan, which overflow whenever excess water from the Binga and Ambuklao dams in Benguet is released.