29 villages in Calumpit under 1 to 4 feet of floods, 16,577 families affected
Published Jul 24, 2018 09:54 am
By Freddie Velez
CITY OF MALOLOS, Bulacan—As of 6 in the evening last Monday the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council's emergency response and rescue teams were deployed in flood-hit areas of Calumpit and Hagonoy as water coming from Pampanga and Nueva Ecija has started to cascade into the two coastal towns—which has become the perennial catch basins in Central Luzon.
Barangays Poblacion and San Jose in Calumpit, Bulacan were only among of the 35 villages in Bulacan province that are still submerged by flood waters yesterday. (Freddie Velez/ MANILA BULLETIN)
Aside from this, the flooding in the said towns were also being aggravated by the release of waters from Bustos and the daily occurrence of high tide.
As of 6 pm last Monday, the 29 villages in Calumpit were under 1 to 4 feet of floods, 16,577 families were affected.
Liz Mungcal of the PDRRMO said out of 16,577 affected families in Calumpit, only 84 families were temporarily sheltered at the evacuation centers-- 46 families in Meysulao; 10 in Barangay Pio Cruzcosa; 19 in Barangay San Miguel; 4 in Calizon and 5 in Barangay Gugo.
In Meycauayan City, 80 families from Barangay Gasak were evacuated at the Meycauayan Central School.
Due to the continuous heavy rain brought by Habagat, the bridge located at the boundary of Brgy. Binagbag Angat and San Rafael, Bulacan collapsed and not passable to heavy vehicles. The Provincial Engineering Office headed by Engineer Glenn Reyes immediately proceeded to the place to help.
The PDRRMO also reported that the Paombong and Marilao towns were under a state of calamity, through Resolution No. 2018 – 07 – 74, and Resolution no. 2018 – 04 respectively.
Other flooded villages in this province were in the towns of Balagtas, Bocaue, Guiguinto, Obando and Pulilan, and in this city where many residents said the flooding was due to many natural waterways that have been compromised with the mushrooming of big subdivisions which were built and developed from former rice lands.
The elders said that many rice lands, most of them fully irrigated, have been converted into big subdivisions, thus wiping away natural waterways. They said most of these subdivisions had no proper drainage systems too.
As of 6 pm on Monday, the water level at Bustos dam was 16.46 meters (spilling level 17.70 meters) while the elevation at Ipo Dam was 100.54 meters (spilling level 101 meters).
The water elevation at Angat dam was 196.94 meters , still way below its spilling level of 210 meters.
Meanwhile, to prevent increase in the numbers affected by leptospirosis this rainy season, the Bulacan government through the Provincial Health Office-Public Health is implementing intensified control measures especially in places where incidence of disease was high.
Acting Governor Daniel R. Fernando emphasized the importance of prevention more than cure.
“Higit na mabuting maiwasan na magkaroon pa ng ganitong sakit para hindi na rin tayo nangangamba sa kalusugan at buhay ng ating mga kapwa Bulakenyo, kung may paraang maiwasan gawin na,” Fernando said.
According to Dr. Jocelyn Gomez, head of the PHO-PH, one of the measures to control leptospirosis is proper and full information dissemination through the use of Facebook, local radio airing, and a broadcast shown in the LED Billboard in the Capitol Compound.
They also distributed medicines such as Doxycycline Hyclate as prophylactic regimen, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal ointments to aid scratches or bruises exposed. Washing the uncovered and affected area with soap and running water was emphasized.
“Nakukuha ang sakit na ito sa paglusong sa baha na kadalasang mayroong ihi ng daga, aso at iba pang uri ng hayop. Natural habitat kasi ng mga daga yung leptospira, doon sila nabubuhay kaya mas madalas sa ihi ng daga talaga nakukuha ang leptospirosis,” Gomez said.
The PHO–PH Disease Surveillance Officer Brian Alfonso said that leptospirosis cases in the province of Bulacan were not as high as that of Metro Manila.
Dengue Surveillance of PESU reported 11 suspected leptospirosis cases from January 1- July 2018. One suspected death from Norzagaray was also reported.
The PGB continuously monitors leptospirosis cases in order to prevent the outbreak with the help and coordination of different barangays while keeping the people updated on this disease.
Barangays Poblacion and San Jose in Calumpit, Bulacan were only among of the 35 villages in Bulacan province that are still submerged by flood waters yesterday. (Freddie Velez/ MANILA BULLETIN)
Aside from this, the flooding in the said towns were also being aggravated by the release of waters from Bustos and the daily occurrence of high tide.
As of 6 pm last Monday, the 29 villages in Calumpit were under 1 to 4 feet of floods, 16,577 families were affected.
Liz Mungcal of the PDRRMO said out of 16,577 affected families in Calumpit, only 84 families were temporarily sheltered at the evacuation centers-- 46 families in Meysulao; 10 in Barangay Pio Cruzcosa; 19 in Barangay San Miguel; 4 in Calizon and 5 in Barangay Gugo.
In Meycauayan City, 80 families from Barangay Gasak were evacuated at the Meycauayan Central School.
Due to the continuous heavy rain brought by Habagat, the bridge located at the boundary of Brgy. Binagbag Angat and San Rafael, Bulacan collapsed and not passable to heavy vehicles. The Provincial Engineering Office headed by Engineer Glenn Reyes immediately proceeded to the place to help.
The PDRRMO also reported that the Paombong and Marilao towns were under a state of calamity, through Resolution No. 2018 – 07 – 74, and Resolution no. 2018 – 04 respectively.
Other flooded villages in this province were in the towns of Balagtas, Bocaue, Guiguinto, Obando and Pulilan, and in this city where many residents said the flooding was due to many natural waterways that have been compromised with the mushrooming of big subdivisions which were built and developed from former rice lands.
The elders said that many rice lands, most of them fully irrigated, have been converted into big subdivisions, thus wiping away natural waterways. They said most of these subdivisions had no proper drainage systems too.
As of 6 pm on Monday, the water level at Bustos dam was 16.46 meters (spilling level 17.70 meters) while the elevation at Ipo Dam was 100.54 meters (spilling level 101 meters).
The water elevation at Angat dam was 196.94 meters , still way below its spilling level of 210 meters.
Meanwhile, to prevent increase in the numbers affected by leptospirosis this rainy season, the Bulacan government through the Provincial Health Office-Public Health is implementing intensified control measures especially in places where incidence of disease was high.
Acting Governor Daniel R. Fernando emphasized the importance of prevention more than cure.
“Higit na mabuting maiwasan na magkaroon pa ng ganitong sakit para hindi na rin tayo nangangamba sa kalusugan at buhay ng ating mga kapwa Bulakenyo, kung may paraang maiwasan gawin na,” Fernando said.
According to Dr. Jocelyn Gomez, head of the PHO-PH, one of the measures to control leptospirosis is proper and full information dissemination through the use of Facebook, local radio airing, and a broadcast shown in the LED Billboard in the Capitol Compound.
They also distributed medicines such as Doxycycline Hyclate as prophylactic regimen, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal ointments to aid scratches or bruises exposed. Washing the uncovered and affected area with soap and running water was emphasized.
“Nakukuha ang sakit na ito sa paglusong sa baha na kadalasang mayroong ihi ng daga, aso at iba pang uri ng hayop. Natural habitat kasi ng mga daga yung leptospira, doon sila nabubuhay kaya mas madalas sa ihi ng daga talaga nakukuha ang leptospirosis,” Gomez said.
The PHO–PH Disease Surveillance Officer Brian Alfonso said that leptospirosis cases in the province of Bulacan were not as high as that of Metro Manila.
Dengue Surveillance of PESU reported 11 suspected leptospirosis cases from January 1- July 2018. One suspected death from Norzagaray was also reported.
The PGB continuously monitors leptospirosis cases in order to prevent the outbreak with the help and coordination of different barangays while keeping the people updated on this disease.