STA. MARIA, Bulacan—The Filipino spirit of "bayanihan (unity)" stood out on Saturday as the province continued to be submerged in flood waters for the second day in-a-row due to heavy and continuous downpour. Motorcycle riders, who dared but were stopped by the knee-deep flood along MacArthur Highway in the nearby town of Bocaue, were helped by residents push their vehicles after getting stuck on the flood. Drivers of larger vehicles, which were able to negotiate through the inundation, were also guided by residents so that they could avoid potholes covered by waters. "Sa gitna lang kayo, sa gitna (Just go to the middle, to the middle)," said one resident, donned in an orange raincoat, whose knees were already immersed in the waters, to motorists he was trying to help. Joseph Pedrajas/MANILA BULLETIN
Scenes of local residents coming to the aid of others started Friday as many parts of the province experienced heavy flooding, particularly in areas near rivers and where there are unfinished roadworks. Several elevated parts on the northbound lane of MacArthur Highway in Bocaue and Marilao transformed adjacent, lower-lying lanes into catch basins for the overflowing flood waters, enough to overwhelm tricycles. Joseph Pedrajas/MANILA BULLETIN
Only trucks, buses and large vehicles, like sports utility vehicles (SUVs) and multi-purpose vehicles (MPVs), dared plod through the flood. But even some eventually stalled. Knee-deep flood in Bocaue, Bulacan (Joseph Pedrajas/MANILA BULLETIN)
The Macaiban Bridge, from where residents fish under more favorable circumstances, was no longer visible as it was completely inundated by the waters that burst the banks of the Sta. Maria River. Photo courtesy of Municipal Government of Sta. Maria Facebook page
Massive flooding in the province was also partly caused by the release of waters from the dams. The Ipo Dam, which is connected to Angat Dam, already reached a spilling level of 101 meters. Meanwhile, it would only take 20 more meters of water before Angat Dam would reach its normal high water level of 212 meters, according to an advisory from the provincial government. The Bustos Dam was also short of .65 meters before reaching a normal high water level, it added. In Guiguinto, Bulacan, commuters were stranded for at least 30 minutes due to waist-deep flood that stalled public utility vehicles. Several residents were already calling on the provincial government to come up with its flood control plans as they bore the brunt of nature. A resident walks on a muddy rice paddy in Sta. Maria, Bulacan (Joseph Pedrajas/MANILA BULLETIN)
"Nakakaawa yung mga nabaha, susunod lubog na lahat. Sana may plano ang Provincial Government of Bulacan sa flood control at mga naiwan na road works. Grabe (Pity to those affected by the flood. They might get submerge in the waters. I hope the provincial government of Bulacan would soon have its own flood control and plan for the pending road works. Shocking),"  said Jeane Eunice Mateo-Lim, who shared a Facebook post of Manila Bulletin that showed photos of floods in the province.