HERMOSA, Bataan — Flooding here worsened after dikes in this municipality and in Dinalupihan town collapsed due to heavy monsoon rains during the onslaught of Tropical Depressions Josie and Karding, the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) said Wednesday.
Hermosa town MDRRMO head Orlando Balean said still flooded were Barangays Almacen, Pulo, Balsik and Saba with water up to more than four feet high.
Boat is still the only means of transportation in leaving and going back to Almacen and Pulo.
Flooding started Saturday in Hermosa with floodwater rising up to six feet high in some areas, especially in the said two villages.
Balean said that during the onslaught of “Josie”, dikes in Pulo, Saba, Balsik, Pentor, Parayray and Mandama in Hermosa and Pentor in Dinalupihan and a dike between Hermosa and Layac, also in Dinalupihan, collapsed.
“The breach at the dike aggravated during tropical depression Karding. From 100 meters, it became 130 meters in Pulo and also the dike in Saba, from 80 meters to 110 meters,” he said.
Balean said that the concrete dike in Mandama has a breach of 30 meters.
The Hermosa MDRRMO said that sandbagging to protect the dike between Hermosa and Layac did not help much.
“The dike eventually collapsed, thus the water entered in Pulo and Saba aside from the overflowing of the dike in Pentor which entered in Balsik. It is clear that flooding will continue as the water flows to the river from the upstream,” he said.
Balean said that the livelihood of residents has been greatly affected by the floods.
“The ricefields are already covered with sand,” he said, estimating the damage to agriculture at PHP15 million.
“Patuloy ang pagbaha lalo na sa mga bukid dahil sa nasirang mga dike (Flooding continues especially on ricefields due to damaged dikes),” Balean said.
He said they have written the Department of Public Works and Highways to give priority to solving the problem on the damaged dikes.
“It can no longer be remedied by sandbagging. It needs engineering intervention,” the MDRRMO head added. (Ernie Esconde/PNA)
