Pampanga flooding response intensified on Monday as more than three thousand residents in Sto. Tomas, Sta. Ana, and Arayat continued to endure waist‑deep floodwaters caused by persistent monsoon rains.
The widespread flooding has left communities in Pampanga struggling with limited mobility, damaged homes, and disrupted access to food and basic supplies.
Local authorities and volunteers have been conducting relief operations for three consecutive days to reach families whose areas remain submerged.
Despite difficult conditions, Senator Lito Lapid waded through floodwaters to help deliver food packs to affected households.
“Nasisiyahan po ako sa mainit nilang pagsalubong sa akin, malaking bagay na makita ko sila ng personal at higit sa lahat ay mayakap at makadaupang palad sila,” (I appreciate their warm welcome; it means a lot to see them personally and meet them.) Sen Lapid said.
Officials said the ongoing relief distribution aims to ease hunger among residents impacted by flooding triggered by the southwest monsoon in Central Luzon.
Flooding remains severe in several Pampanga towns, including Minalin, Macabebe, Masantol, Candaba, Sasmuan, and Guagua, where around 8,000 families received food packs last week.
Communities in Hagonoy and Calumpit in neighboring Bulacan also remain underwater, prompting continued relief operations.
Before the distribution in Arayat, residents of Brgy. Suclayin briefly sang “Happy birthday” to Lapid, whom they call Supremo.
Brgy. Chairman Elvis Calma said Lapid was the first national official to visit their barangay since the flooding began.
The flooding in Pampanga and nearby Bulacan was triggered by the southwest monsoon, or habagat, which was recently enhanced by passing tropical weather systems that dumped continuous rainfall across Central Luzon.
The prolonged rains caused rivers, creeks, and drainage systems to overflow, submerging low‑lying communities and leaving several towns under waist‑deep water for days.
Disaster officials said saturated soil conditions and slow water recession have contributed to the extended flooding, affecting thousands of households across the region.