The provincial government here will start to use a submersible water pump to help ease the flooding in some low-lying areas in the province.

In an interview on Thursday, Governor Dennis Pineda said the submersible water pump will be used to drain some 2.8 million cubic meters of flood water accumulated at the San Fernando-Sto. Tomas-Minalin tail dike to Gugu River.

Pineda said he, together with some local officials, personally oversaw the testing of the submersible water pump on Wednesday.

“Ang nasabing hakbang ay para makatulong sa mabilis na paghupa ng tubig sa Sto. Tomas at Minalin na hanggang ngayon ay baha pa rin (The said move is to help ease the flooding in Sto. Tomas and Minalin towns that are still under floodwater),” he said.

The governor said portion of Gugu dike from Barangay Cabalantian, Bacolor up to Minalin town will be temporarily closed starting on Thursday (Aug. 10, 2023) from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., to give way to the pumping out of floodwater at the San Fernando-Sto. Tomas-Minalin tail dike using the submersible water pump.

“Maaari lamang makadaan ang mga light vehicles 3 p.m. onwards sa nasabing dike pero inaabisuhan ang mga malalaking sasakyan na dumaan na lang sa ibang alternatibong ruta (Only light vehicles can pass by the said dike at 3 p.m. onwards. However, we are advising the big vehicles to use an alternative route),” he added.

Government and local officials led by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. discussed ways how to address the perennial flooding in the province.

In a meeting on Monday, local executives presented to the President various short and long-term solutions to mitigate the flooding that caused huge damage to agriculture and infrastructure and displaced thousands of residents in the province last week.

As a short-term solution to the problem includes the immediate dredging of Pampanga River as agreed upon to be supervised by the local government units.

The governor suggested purchasing new dredgers to save on costs and to fast-track the project.

“Yung mga dredging machines owned by the national government na nandito sa Pampanga ay luma na, so kailangan na po talaga ng bagong equipment (The dredging machines owned by the national government here in Pampanga are already old, so there is indeed a need for new equipment),” he said. (PNA)

Photo credit: Facebook/pampangapio