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Ondoy-like floods drive Bulacan residents to rooftops
UPDATED 11:50 a.m. - The situation turned dire overnight in coastal Bulacan as floods swamped the province after dams in Central Luzon released water in preparation for Tropical Cyclones Quiel and Ramon. Residents in several towns climbed rooftops and called for help as hospital patients were evacuated first. Pampanga coastal towns Apalit and Lubao were also flooded.
Flooded areas are indicated by blue pins. Major dams are indicated by flags.
Click here to view this in a larger map. "Lumakas ang pagdating ng tubig, biglang bigla mula kagabi. Umaabot na dalawang metro, halos lahat nasa bubong na (at) tumataas pa lalo," Heracleo Pangan, a resident of Frances village in Calumpit town in Bulacan. He said they had seen no sign of assistance from authorities since Tuesday, when typhoon Pedring (Nesat) lashed Luzon. Pangan also voiced fears some residents in the area may have drowned. "Walang makarating dito kahit anong uri ng sasakyan. [Kahit] sasakyang pantubig hindi uubra (It appears no vehicle can reach our area. Even watercraft will have a hard time getting here)," he said. Governor: Water from dam too much According to Bulacan Governor Wilfredo Alvarado, the water released from the Angat and Ipo dams was too much for the Bustos dam, which continues to release water. All three dams are located within Bulacan province.
Those who are still there are better off in the hospital than in their homes, which have already been submerged, he said. "Yun po mga pasyenteng inabutan doon ay yun pong mga pasyente na hindi ganoon kagrabe ang kanilang karamdaman and it's better for them to be there than to be in their houses, sapagkat yun pong mga tahanan ay nakalubog na," he said. Water released too late? He said technical personnel in the Angat and Ipo dams are prevented from releasing water until it is too late. "Ang kanilang mga kamay ay nakatali sa SOP sa policy ng ating mga namumuno sa kamaynilaan, na hangga't hindi pupuno yung ating dam ay hindi po silang puwedeng kumilos. Kaya nga po pag dumating ang bagyo at maraming ulan na puno ang dam noon pa lamang sila kikilos eh wala naman silang gagawin kung di magpatapon lang nang magpatapon, kahit na po Grade 1 kayang gawin yun," said Alvarado. He said there should be a certain level of water in the dams where the technical personnel can begin releasing water as they anticipate the arrival of more rains. "Ang Angat dam po natin dapat pagkanareach ang level na 200 dapat mayroon nang karapatan ang mga technical men doon, our engineers na gamitin ang tubig to generate electricity," said Alvarado. He said by the time they are allowed to use the water to generate electricity, it is too late as the typhoon has already caused brownouts. "Sinisira ang mga nasa low lying areas, at ang tubig, ayun bumabalik sa Manila bay. Samantalang water is too precious. Dapat ito, nag generate ng electricity, dapat hindi nag cause ng flooding ito," said Alvarado. Sleepless in Hagonoy In Hagonoy town, a dzBB report said people could not sleep for fear floodwaters would enter their homes. At least 170 families had been evacuated to the San Pedro High School in Hagonoy. But the dzBB report said local officials in Hagonoy had been advising residents to evacuate as early as Thursday noon. Floods did not spare Emilio Perez District Hospital in Hagonoy, prompting the transfer of patients using a dump truck with two nurses hanging on to the roof while holding dextrose bottles, according to a separate report by dzBB's Allan Gatus. Dams releasing water Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) hydrologist Elmer Caringal said the water likely came from Angat and Ipo Dams, which are both in Bulacan. "The floodwaters that hit Bulacan are from Ipo and Angat Dams. Aside from the dam's excess water, the rainwater from the mountains are now starting to flow into the province's rivers," he said in a separate interview on dzBB.
He said the two dams could not afford to slow down the release of water due to the looming danger of rain from Typhoon Quiel (Nalgae). Dam authorities generally seek to balance the need to generate power and the duty to protect public safety. Sudden rainfall, such as what could occur when Typhoon Quiel arrives, can rapidly fill the dams, risking a catastrophic deluge. But that is what the current flood feels like to many coastal residents as the dams are currently deliberately releasing water at a brisk rate. The disaster has prompted calls for permanent flood control solutions that don't make use of Bulacan's rivers. "The current practice of using rivers along the Bulacan bayshore to discharge excess dam water is not climate smart," says Lory Tan, head of environmental group WWF-Philippines. "Although we cannot control rainfall, we can manage water flow. Additional floodways? Retention basins? Forest recharge areas? Central Luzon feeds Manila. We cannot ignore this." Earlier, Science Undersecretary Graciano Yumul Jr. also warned of a second cyclone to come after Quiel - a tropical depression to be codenamed Ramon that is expected to enter Philippine territory in the coming days. "What we are seeing is not just the water from the dam but also water from nearby mountains," Yumul said. — with Carmela Lapeña, LBG/HS/VVP, GMA News
Flooded areas are indicated by blue pins. Major dams are indicated by flags.
Click here to view this in a larger map. "Lumakas ang pagdating ng tubig, biglang bigla mula kagabi. Umaabot na dalawang metro, halos lahat nasa bubong na (at) tumataas pa lalo," Heracleo Pangan, a resident of Frances village in Calumpit town in Bulacan. He said they had seen no sign of assistance from authorities since Tuesday, when typhoon Pedring (Nesat) lashed Luzon. Pangan also voiced fears some residents in the area may have drowned. "Walang makarating dito kahit anong uri ng sasakyan. [Kahit] sasakyang pantubig hindi uubra (It appears no vehicle can reach our area. Even watercraft will have a hard time getting here)," he said. Governor: Water from dam too much According to Bulacan Governor Wilfredo Alvarado, the water released from the Angat and Ipo dams was too much for the Bustos dam, which continues to release water. All three dams are located within Bulacan province.
A resident in Apalit, Pampanga awaits rescue on Friday morning. Ronna Salandanan, who took this photo, is also stranded in her home. GMA News
Those who are still there are better off in the hospital than in their homes, which have already been submerged, he said. "Yun po mga pasyenteng inabutan doon ay yun pong mga pasyente na hindi ganoon kagrabe ang kanilang karamdaman and it's better for them to be there than to be in their houses, sapagkat yun pong mga tahanan ay nakalubog na," he said. Water released too late? He said technical personnel in the Angat and Ipo dams are prevented from releasing water until it is too late. "Ang kanilang mga kamay ay nakatali sa SOP sa policy ng ating mga namumuno sa kamaynilaan, na hangga't hindi pupuno yung ating dam ay hindi po silang puwedeng kumilos. Kaya nga po pag dumating ang bagyo at maraming ulan na puno ang dam noon pa lamang sila kikilos eh wala naman silang gagawin kung di magpatapon lang nang magpatapon, kahit na po Grade 1 kayang gawin yun," said Alvarado. He said there should be a certain level of water in the dams where the technical personnel can begin releasing water as they anticipate the arrival of more rains. "Ang Angat dam po natin dapat pagkanareach ang level na 200 dapat mayroon nang karapatan ang mga technical men doon, our engineers na gamitin ang tubig to generate electricity," said Alvarado. He said by the time they are allowed to use the water to generate electricity, it is too late as the typhoon has already caused brownouts. "Sinisira ang mga nasa low lying areas, at ang tubig, ayun bumabalik sa Manila bay. Samantalang water is too precious. Dapat ito, nag generate ng electricity, dapat hindi nag cause ng flooding ito," said Alvarado. Sleepless in Hagonoy In Hagonoy town, a dzBB report said people could not sleep for fear floodwaters would enter their homes. At least 170 families had been evacuated to the San Pedro High School in Hagonoy. But the dzBB report said local officials in Hagonoy had been advising residents to evacuate as early as Thursday noon. Floods did not spare Emilio Perez District Hospital in Hagonoy, prompting the transfer of patients using a dump truck with two nurses hanging on to the roof while holding dextrose bottles, according to a separate report by dzBB's Allan Gatus. Dams releasing water Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) hydrologist Elmer Caringal said the water likely came from Angat and Ipo Dams, which are both in Bulacan. "The floodwaters that hit Bulacan are from Ipo and Angat Dams. Aside from the dam's excess water, the rainwater from the mountains are now starting to flow into the province's rivers," he said in a separate interview on dzBB.
He said the two dams could not afford to slow down the release of water due to the looming danger of rain from Typhoon Quiel (Nalgae). Dam authorities generally seek to balance the need to generate power and the duty to protect public safety. Sudden rainfall, such as what could occur when Typhoon Quiel arrives, can rapidly fill the dams, risking a catastrophic deluge. But that is what the current flood feels like to many coastal residents as the dams are currently deliberately releasing water at a brisk rate. The disaster has prompted calls for permanent flood control solutions that don't make use of Bulacan's rivers. "The current practice of using rivers along the Bulacan bayshore to discharge excess dam water is not climate smart," says Lory Tan, head of environmental group WWF-Philippines. "Although we cannot control rainfall, we can manage water flow. Additional floodways? Retention basins? Forest recharge areas? Central Luzon feeds Manila. We cannot ignore this." Earlier, Science Undersecretary Graciano Yumul Jr. also warned of a second cyclone to come after Quiel - a tropical depression to be codenamed Ramon that is expected to enter Philippine territory in the coming days. "What we are seeing is not just the water from the dam but also water from nearby mountains," Yumul said. — with Carmela Lapeña, LBG/HS/VVP, GMA News
