Pangasinan floods blamed on breached dikes, siltation

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan — Breached dikes and heavily silted rivers were blamed for the massive flooding of this province last July 4-6 when typhoon "Feria" hit the province and other parts of Northern Luzon, resulting in the flooding of 40 towns in Pangasinan and leaving P182,915,711 cost of damages with 24 persons dead, five missing and 19 injured.

Engineer Fidel Ginez, project manager of the Agno Flood Control Office (AFCO) based in Tumana, Rosales, gave this observation when invited to shed light on the recent flooding at the provincial board session here Friday.

The board also wanted to know the policies of the National Power Corp. in releasing excess waters in Binga, Ambuklao and San Roque dams during typhoons.

Ginez said that the massive flooding was due to the breaching of the Caranglaan dike in Alcala town and the siltation of rivers that inundated towns in the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th districts of the province.

Ginez said the Caranglaan dike was breached by about 200 meters. He added that most dikes have no protection and their riverbeds are silted.

The silted dikes that also caused flooding include Totologin left and right dikes in Alcala and the Montano dike in Umingan town which was breached by about 80 meters.

He said the estimated cost of damage in flood control projects is P30 million.

Manaoag Mayor Pedrito Garcia said his town was worst hit as it was transformed into a catchbasin of water from the uplands.

Surprised to see floodwaters submerging all 26 barangays of his town, Garcia blamed the people from Binga Dam whom he described as "worse than the Abu Sayyaf for not choosing their victims."

"People stayed on top of the trees. Had it not been for the timely arrival of the rubberboat from the provincial government, most people would have drowned," Garcia said. — Eva de Leon