More Central Luzon dikes collapse

ANGELES CITY — Strong current from overflowing rivers across Central Luzon has caused more dikes to collapse, sending floodwaters rampaging through more communities.

Because of the situation, Public Works and Highways Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane released yesterday at least P6 million for the temporary repair of damaged dikes in Dinalupihan, Bataan and San Narciso, Zambales.

Civil defense officials said tropical depression "Henry" left six people dead and two others missing before it headed toward northern Vietnam. Of the fatalities, three drowned, two were hit by lightning, and a falling tree crushed the last.

Regional social welfare officials said the floods spawned by "Henry" affected 47,601 families or 186,899 people in 211 barangays in Nueva Ecija, Tarlac and Pampanga alone.

Ramon Aquino, regional director of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), said half of the P6 million was released to patch up several meters of a breached dike in Barangay Layak, Dinalupihan town, and the rest for the dike that had also collapsed along the Maculcol River in San Narciso.

"(These are just) temporary measures since we cannot undertake full repair because of the floods. We also expect more rains because another typhoon is coming," Aquino told The STAR before joining Ebdane for an aerial inspection of damaged infrastructure in various parts of Central Luzon.

Aquino said a 15-meter section of a dike along the Buloy River in Barangay Kasungsung in Guimba, Nueva Ecija collapsed at about 2 a.m. yesterday, unleashing floodwaters in the Tarlac towns of Moncada, Paniqui and Pura.

"The areas between Paniqui and Moncada have become critical and we are monitoring this," he said.

Because of the dike’s breaching, a section of the MacArthur Highway was flooded up to waist-deep yesterday morning.

Vehicular traffic to Baguio City was re-directed to Camiling, Tarlac and to Bayambang and Carmen, both in Pangasinan.

In Candaba, Pampanga, at least 70 of 114 families living on the banks of the Pampanga River in Barangays Mandasig, Pasig, Bambang, Gulap and Buan were evacuated to the St. James Academy and Candaba Elementary School after another dike collapsed.

The DPWH said 12 flooded roads in Central Luzon, four in the Cordilleras, two in the Ilocos region and one in Region 4-B (Mimaropa) were closed to vehicular traffic.

In Isabela, "Henry" left more than P11 million in agricultural losses, mostly corn crops. Echague town suffered the most losses.

In Aurora, heavy flooding has isolated some 80,000 residents in the northern towns of Dipaculao, Casiguran and Dinalungan, Gov. Bellaflor Angara-Castillo told The STAR.

In another development, at least 30 families were displaced when flash floods hit 12 villages in Balingasag and Lagonglong, Misamis Oriental yesterday. A tornado also occurred, reportedly killing a resident. — With Manny Galvez, Len Espinosa, Dino Balabo, Edu Punay, Ric Sapnu, Charlie Lagasca, Richel Umel, James Mananghaya and Roel Pareño