Daven Tamayo

5 months underwater: Residents of Calumpit, Bulacan, still struggling as floodwaters refuse to recede

Article (news)

Jessie Cruzat

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA — Floodwaters have submerged Barangay San Miguel in Calumpit, Bulacan, for nearly five months now, displacing families and raising concerns about the anomalous flood control projects.</p><p>Seventy-year-old Edilmira Garcia can only look at her flooded home from a distance.</p><p>She has been living with her sibling since July, when heavy rains brought by tropical storm Crising caused flooding in their area.</p><p>“Malaki po dahil hindi ko na natitirhan ang bahay ng aking magulang. Baha po hanggang hita. Noon po hanggang dibdib. Noong nakaraang taon, nag-birthday pa ako dito. Ngayon hindi na,” Garcia said.</p><p>Meanwhile, 87-year-old Paulina Aliwalas and her family are crammed into a makeshift shelter inside a vulcanizing shop.</p><p>They were forced to leave their home, with no dry space left to sleep.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/regions/2025/10/22/nearly-p1-billion-fund-lost-to-ghost-flood-projects-in-malolos-bulacan-mayor-1536">READ: Nearly P1 billion fund lost to &#x27;ghost&#x27; flood projects in Malolos, Bulacan -- mayor</a></div><p>“Kung minsan po humihiram na kami ng bangka. Kung minsan kapag medyo maliit ‘yong tubig, nakabota kami, ‘yong jumper na hanggang dito. Sino ba namang hindi mababahala sa sitwasyon namin,” Aliwalas said.</p><p>According to residents, this is the longest their barangay has remained underwater.</p><p>The area is located nearby the Pampanga River which causes water levels to rise further during high tide.</p><p>As of today, Maricar Macayan and 18 other families remain in evacuation centers.</p><p>“Kesa po umuwi kami sa bahay namin. Napakalaki po ng tubig. Minsan po sa gabi ang laki, nakakatakot po. Hindi ko po isasapalaran ang tinutulugan ng anak ko kasi sa gabi, pinapanhik ‘yong tinutulugan namin,” she said.</p><p>Beyond the health risks, the livelihood of residents has also been paralyzed since around 70 percent of the homes in the barangay remain underwater.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/11/a-timeline-of-the-philippine-flood-control-scandal-0600">READ: A timeline of the Philippine flood control scandal</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>UNFINISHED FLOOD CONTROL PROJECT</strong></div><p>ABS-CBN News also visited the site of a flood control project—a riverbank protection structure.</p><p>However, what the news team found was a far cry from the promise.</p><p>According to the &quot;Sumbong sa Pangulo&quot; website, the project had a 77-million peso budget.</p><p>It should have been completed by April 2024, but only exposed steel bars and abandoned sheet piles can be seen in the area.</p><p>Across the river, in neighboring Barangay Frances, another flood control project also remains incomplete.</p><p>Barangay Chairman Arthur Binuya of San Miguel has an appeal with the current administration.</p><p>“May solusyon po diyan, mahal na pangulo. Sana po pag-ibayuhin nyo pa ang budget para maproteksyunan ang kabarangay ko, buong Calumpit na po. Problema po kapag nawala sa mapa ang Barangay San Miguel, saan po lilipat yan. Kung sana po ‘yong gobyerno mabigyan kami ng lupa na paglilipatan namin,” Binuya said.</p><p>ABS-CBN News reached out to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for comment, but they have yet to respond as of this writing.</p><p>As investigations into anomalous flood control move forward, residents of Barangay San Miguel hope the current situation won’t be forgotten and left to deteriorate further.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ip593fy0yDs?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

<p>Floodwaters have submerged Barangay San Miguel in Calumpit, Bulacan, for nearly five months now, displacing families and raising concerns about the anomalous flood control projects.</p>

Floodwaters have submerged Barangay San Miguel in Calumpit, Bulacan, for nearly five months now, displacing families and raising concerns about the anomalous flood control projects.