ARAYAT, Pampanga–Gov. Lilia Pineda urged thousands of families and villagers living along the stretch of Pampanga River to vacate the old Arnedo Dike and go to safer places or relocate to a permanent resettlement site.
Pineda said every now and then their lives are at risk, particularly those living along and in between the Arnedo Dike and Arayat Apalit Setback Levee, which serve as first and second line of defense from the cascading floodwater from the Pampanga River, especially during rainy season.
She said the two flood-control structures are highly critical and damage to the structures during a typhoon may result in destruction of lives and properties.
This developed as different sections of the more than 50-year-old Arnedo Dike in San Luis and San Simon and the Arayat-Cupang Section of the Arayat Setback Levee collapsed recently during the onslaught of
typhoons Lando and Nona.
Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Central Luzon Director Antonio V. Molano Jr. said the agency would immediately reconstruct the slope protection of the damaged portion of the setback levee in Barangay Cupang with an initial fund of P45 million.
In addition, Molano said, he would ask the national government to augment the funds as this amount would not be enough to strengthen the setback levee as more slope protections should be constructed to fill up the gaps.
“We need to reconstruct the breached portion of the setback levee and to continue the construction to fill the gap portion were the breaching originated. Mayroon pa kasing earth dike na natitira kaya doon pumasok ang tubig kaya natibag ng tuloy-tuloy pati iyong may slope proteksyon tuluyang nasira,” Molano said.
He added that the old Arnedo Dike put up long ago from Apalit, San Simon, San Luis to Candaba, which serves as first line of defense next to the Apalit-Arayat Setback Levee, is no longer dependable as most of its portions had collapsed and other sections are also susceptible for possible scouring anytime.
With the existence of the Arayat-Apalit Setback Levee as second line of defense, “our attention is more on the protection of the levee and not of the Arnedo Dike,” he said.
He clarified that Arayat town is only being protected by the setback levee and it has no Arnedo Dike portion.
Arayat Mayor Bon Alejandrino warned that the towns of Arayat, Mexico, Santa Ana, Magalang and even the city of San Fernando will be put at risk if the scoured setback were not given immediate engineering intervention.
The water of the Pampanga River has three main sources—Chico River, Bamban Paruga River and the San Antonio Dam in Nueva Ecija.
Pineda urged the National Housing Authority (NHA) to study and plan a holistic approach on how to relocate the more than 35,000 families living along the threatened stretch of the Pampanga River.
She said the NHA has the Telapayong property that could be used as possible resettlement area for the relocatees.
Ines Gonzales, NHA Pampanga manager, said the initial 12 families affected by the breaching of the Cupang section of the Arayat Setback Levee could be relocated in a resettlement area in Barangay Lambak, Guagua town.
“It has housing units which are ready for occupancy and it is ideal because it has complete amenities such as schools and public market,” Gonzales said.
Pineda said the provincial government would give P200,000 for each of the 12 families would prefer to relocate to other places of their choice if they decline the relocation offer of the NHA in Guagua.