Cayetano’s emergency team aids Pampanga communities amid weeks-long floods
The emergency response team of Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano brought food, water, and grocery packs to flood-hit communities and vulnerable sectors across Pampanga on September 4 and 5, 2026 as some areas remained submerged for nearly a month.
The team visited the municipalities of Candaba and Macabebe on Friday before proceeding to the municipalities of Apalit, Sasmuan, Bacolor, and the City of San Fernando on Saturday.
The outreach reached over 1,100 beneficiaries, including evacuees, vendors, transport workers, senior citizens, boat operators, rescuers, and other workers.
In Barangay San Agustin in Candaba, thousands of families were affected by what local officials described as the barangay’s worst flooding this year.
Floodwaters have remained in the community for almost a month. One house collapsed due to soil erosion, although the family escaped unharmed.
According to Barangay Chairperson Billy Pamintuan, floodwaters from nearby municipalities in Bulacan and Nueva Ecija flow into Candaba and heavily saturate the Candaba Swamp. Only one creek carries water from San Agustin toward the Pampanga River.
The prolonged flooding has also disrupted livelihoods, forcing farmers to shift to fishing during the rainy season as farmlands remain underwater.
Meanwhile, in Barangay Paligui, the team met fish vendors and boat operators, including tricycle drivers who turn to operating boats when roads become impassable.
In Macabebe, the team distributed 300 grocery packs and 300 six-liter water gallons to affected families, boat operators, rescuers, and volunteers. Flooding has disrupted government operations and suspended face-to-face classes for three weeks, prompting schools to shift to alternative learning modes.
The following day, the team served hot meals and bottled water to over 350 evacuees in Barangays San Juan and San Vicente in Apalit.
Some evacuees have been displaced for two to three weeks. In Barangay San Juan, neck-deep floods forced residents living near a creek in Northville Site to leave their homes. Residents said the water could take up to two months to fully subside.
“Kami po ay lubos na nagpapasalamat sa pagmamalasakit ninyo sa aming mga kabarangay. Malaking tulong po itong mga napadala ninyong food packs para sa aming evacuees dito,” San Vicente Barangay Chairperson Wilfredo Danting said.
Face-to-face classes in Barangay Cabalantian, Bacolor have likewise been suspended for a month due to flooding. The team distributed grocery packs and rice to affected residents there on September 5.
In Sasmuan, hot meals, bottled water, and grocery packs were distributed to affected families and boat operators, coursed through Vice Mayor Jhun Tamayo.
“Maraming maraming salamat po sa tulong na inyong ipinaabot sa aming mga kababayan doon po sa coastal. Malakas po ang ulan ngayon at malaki ang alon,” Tamayo said.
In San Fernando City, grocery packs were also distributed to delivery riders, barkers, senior citizens, and pump attendants.
During its assessment visits, the team recorded the need for rescue boats, clean drinking water, evacuation facilities, protective clothing, drainage improvements, road and housing rehabilitation, and livelihood assistance for affected workers.
Aside from mobilizing his office’s emergency response initiative, Cayetano has pushed since 2013 for a permanent Emergency Response Department that would oversee disaster preparedness, response, and long-term rehabilitation. He refiled the proposal as Senate Bill No. 105 in July 2025.
He has also recently emphasized the need for a national dialogue on how to finally make the country “as flood-free as possible.”
He said the country needs to address both the practical causes of recurring floods, such as poor urban planning and rapid urbanization, and the lack of the right values, particularly integrity, which prevents lasting national transformation and allows corruption in flood-control projects to thrive.
Filipino Version
Emergency team ni Cayetano tumulong sa mga komunidad sa Pampanga sa gitna ng ilang linggong baha
Nagdala ng pagkain, inuming tubig, at grocery packs ang emergency response team ni Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano sa mga lugar sa Pampanga na lubog pa rin sa baha nitong September 4 at 5, 2026.
Bumisita ang team sa mga bayan ng Candaba at Macabebe noong Biyernes at pagkatapos ay pumunta sa Apalit, Sasmuan, Bacolor, at San Fernando City nitong Sabado.
Umabot sa mahigit 1,100 katao ang natulungan, kasama ang mga evacuee, tindero, tsuper, senior citizen, boat operator, rescuer, at iba pang manggagawa.
Sa Barangay San Agustin sa Candaba, libu-libong pamilya ang naapektuhan ng pinakamalaking baha ngayong taon ayon sa mga lokal na opisyal. Isang bahay ang gumuho dahil sa erosion, pero ligtas naman ang pamilya.
Ayon kay Barangay Chairperson Billy Pamintuan, ang tubig-baha mula sa Bulacan at Nueva Ecija ay dumadaloy papunta sa Candaba at binabaha ang Candaba Swamp. Iisang creek lang ang nagdadala ng tubig mula San Agustin papunta sa Pampanga River.
Nakakaapekto rin sa kabuhayan ang matagal nang pag baha. Napipilitan tuloy ang mga magsasaka na maging mangingisda habang baha pa ang kanilang mga sakahan.
Sa Barangay Paligui, nakipagkita ang team sa mga tindero ng isda at boat operators, kasama ang mga tricycle driver na nagiging boat operator kapag hindi na madaanan ang kalsada.
Sa Macabebe, namahagi ang team ng 300 grocery packs at 300 six-liter na tubig sa mga apektadong pamilya, boat operators, rescuers, at volunteers. Dahil sa baha, hindi natuloy ang face-to-face classes sa loob ng tatlong linggo, kaya lumipat sa alternative learning ang mga paaralan.
Kinabukasan, naghatid ang team ng mainit na pagkain at bottled water sa mahigit 350 evacuee sa Barangays San Juan at San Vicente sa Apalit. May mga evacuee na dalawa hanggang tatlong linggo nang lumikas.
Sa Barangay San Juan, hanggang leeg ang baha kaya napilitang umalis ang mga residente malapit sa creek sa Northville Site. Ayon sa mga residente, maaaring umabot ng dalawang buwan bago tuluyang humupa ang tubig.
“Kami po ay lubos na nagpapasalamat sa pagmamalasakit ninyo sa aming mga kabarangay. Malaking tulong po itong mga napadala ninyong food packs para sa aming evacuees dito” sabi ni San Vicente Barangay Chairperson Wilfredo Danting.
Sa Barangay Cabalantian, Bacolor, isang buwan nang suspendido ang face-to-face classes dahil sa baha. Namahagi ang team ng grocery packs at bigas sa mga residente doon noong September 5.
Sa Sasmuan, namahagi ng mainit na pagkain, bottled water, at grocery packs sa mga apektadong pamilya at boat operators, sa pamamagitan ni Vice Mayor Jhun Tamayo.
“Maraming maraming salamat po sa tulong na inyong ipinaabot sa aming mga kababayan doon po sa coastal. Malakas po ang ulan ngayon at malaki ang alon,” sabi ni Tamayo.
Sa San Fernando City, namahagi rin ng grocery packs sa mga delivery rider, barker, senior citizen, at pump attendant.
Sa kanilang pagbisita, naitala ng team ang mga pangangailangan tulad ng rescue boats, malinis na inuming tubig, evacuation facilities, protective clothing, drainage improvements, road at housing rehabilitation, at livelihood assistance para sa mga apektadong manggagawa.
Bukod sa pagpapatakbo ng emergency response initiative ng kanyang opisina, matagal nang isinusulong ni Cayetano mula noong 2013 ang isang permanenteng Emergency Response Department na mamamahala sa disaster preparedness, response, at long-term rehabilitation. Muli niyang inihain ito bilang Senate Bill No. 105 noong July 2025.
Kamakailan, binigyang diin din niya ang pangangailangan ng pambansang dialogue kung paano gagawing “as flood-free as possible” ang bansa.
Aniya, kailangang tugunan ang parehong praktikal na dahilan ng paulit-ulit na baha—tulad ng mahinang urban planning at mabilis na urbanization—at ang kawalan ng tamang pagpapahalaga, lalo na ang integridad, na pumipigil sa tunay na pagbabago at nagbibigay-daan sa korapsyon sa mga flood control projects.
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