Dagupan, 2 towns declare state of calamity as floods hit Pangasinan

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'Walang exempted. May mga lugar na hindi natin inaasahang bahain, pero napasok ng tubig,' says Dagupan Mayor Belen Fernandez

PANGASINAN, Philippines – Widespread flooding has affected hundreds of thousands in Pangasinan, prompting the local governments of Dagupan City, and the towns of Calasiao, and Malasiqui, Pangasinan, to declare a state of calamity on Wednesday, July 23.

The separate declarations would allow the local governments to tap their emergency funds for disaster response.

In Dagupan City, all 31 barangays – home to 46,000 households – have been inundated, with floodwaters displacing about 1,279 people and forcing them to take shelter in 23 evacuation centers as of Wednesday morning. 

RESCUE OPERATIONS. A rescue team conducts early morning operations in Calasiao, Pangasinan. MDRRMC Calasiao

“Walang exempted. May mga lugar na hindi natin inaasahang bahain, pero napasok ng tubig,” said Dagupan Mayor Belen Fernandez.

(No one was spared. There are areas in the city I do not expect to be flooded, but were inundated nonetheless.)

Fernandez called on more public schools to open their gates for evacuees as the main facility, the Dagupan City People’s Astrodome, has reached capacity.

Flooding intensified Sunday night, July 20, and worsened by a 4.1-foot high tide. The city sits along the Sinocalan River system, which overflowed following continuous rain and upstream runoff from the Cordilleras. The Marusay River, a tributary, has breached critical levels, submerging monitoring markers.

In nearby Calasiao, floods hit 17 of 24 barangays, with water levels reaching up to six feet in some areas. At least 18,000 people have been affected and 51 families evacuated, with officials warning that the number may rise as water levels continue to increase.

Evacuations are underway and local officials are urging residents to leave low-lying areas immediately.

In Malasiqui, 15 barangays have been affected by widespread flooding, with 80% of rice fields damaged. Pre-emptive evacuations were carried out in at least two villages.

Elsewhere in Pangasinan, a minor drowned after being swept by irrigation waters in Santa Barbara, while a body was recovered from a fishpond in Barangay Balagan, Binmaley town.

Provincial disaster officials report that over 428,000 people in the province have been affected. Damage estimates stand at over P31 million in agriculture, P1 million in livestock, and P288 million in infrastructure. – Rappler.com