00:00 No entry to the entire province of Pampanga from tomorrow until Friday
00:04 due to the bad weather.
00:07 Some places are still isolated due to the heavy flooding.
00:10 Witness, Marisol Abduraman.
00:13 The 65-year-old was helped by Rebeca Cardenas
00:21 from the boat they used to cross the heavy flood
00:25 in Barangay Santa Monica, San Simon, Pampanga.
00:28 You're pregnant.
00:30 Yes, I'm diabetic.
00:31 You're not allowed to carry that in the flood.
00:34 You have to leave.
00:35 Yes, because the water can't reach here.
00:38 The flood reached some parts of Barangay De La Paz
00:41 which are still isolated.
00:43 In other places, there are still many people.
00:45 This part of Barangay De La Paz has been submerged for 5 days.
00:49 Residents are worried that when it rains, the flood will be higher.
00:53 The problem is that the flood is slow to reach here.
00:57 Some people fled.
00:59 Some did not leave, so the barangay returned them earlier.
01:02 We're just here.
01:04 We're just crossing here.
01:06 Why don't you want to leave?
01:08 Because there are too many of us.
01:10 In the middle of your sleep,
01:12 your babies might fall in the flood.
01:15 The flood is far away.
01:17 We need help.
01:19 Our parents are just here.
01:21 According to Pampanga PDRRMO,
01:24 the most affected areas in Pampanga are Macabebe,
01:27 Masantol, San Simon, San Luis, and Candaba.
01:30 In Candaba-Balewag Road in Barangay Paligay,
01:33 vehicles cannot enter the next barangay in San Agustin
01:37 where the flood is too much.
01:40 We're just here.
01:41 There are too many people.
01:44 In the road,
01:46 up to 20 people.
01:51 It's getting lower, but in the field, it's up to 20.
01:56 In Candaba, there are only 33 barangays.
01:58 All of them are flooded.
02:00 14 to 15 feet is the deepest.
02:03 We also have flood control slopes.
02:07 But the volume of rain from the past week
02:12 is really unbearable.
02:15 In total,
02:16 more than 600,000 residents are affected by the flood in the province.
02:21 151 cities and towns in the Philippines
02:24 are under the state of calamity
02:27 because of the bad weather.
02:30 This declaration provides a way to use the calamity fund
02:34 to pay the debtors and to reduce the high prices of basic goods.
02:39 According to the Department of Budget and Management,
02:42 12 billion pesos is left in the calamity fund for 2023.
02:48 We still have 525 million pesos available for the QRF.
02:54 Hopefully, the flood won't increase.
02:59 I hope no one comes.
03:01 But we still have funding until the end of the year and until 2024.
03:05 In Pampanga,
03:06 300 million pesos is left in the Pinsalan Agriculture Fund.
03:10 Most of the crops are being harvested.
03:14 In the whole country,
03:15 the Department of Agriculture has already sent almost 2 billion pesos to Pinsalan.
03:20 According to the DPWH,
03:22 Pinsalan has more than 5 billion pesos in infrastructure.
03:25 Most of the damaged flood control structures.
03:29 According to the DOLE,
03:30 200 million pesos will be sent to Emergency Employment Assistance
03:34 to the workers in Cordillera,
03:36 Ilocos Region and Cagayan Valley affected by the Egyptian typhoon.
03:40 For GMA Integrated News,
03:43 Marisol Abduraman, your witness.
03:47 (News broadcast)
04:06 (Music)
