Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Article (news)

Bea Cuadra

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/178822404796220260831-nlex-flooding-san-simon-mmda-MT8.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">MMDA personnel set up flood barriers along a flooded section of the North Luzon Expressway near the San Simon Exit in Pampanga, at around 3:32 p.m. on Monday, August 31, 2026. The team was deployed to assist motorists and help mitigate flooding so that light vehicles can safely pass through waters that are currently passable only to large vehicles.<em> Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News </em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — Floodwaters and heavy traffic along the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) San Simon segment have slowed down the transport of fresh produce from Northern Luzon, leading to spoiled goods and significant operational delays for Metro Manila vendors.</p><p>At the Balintawak Market in Quezon City, vendors reported that trucks carrying agricultural commodities are arriving hours behind schedule, directly affecting the quality of the vegetables sold to the public.</p><p>Jomar Morales, a market employee in Balintawak, explained that the transport disruptions have caused several perishable items to deteriorate before reaching stallholders.</p><p>&quot;Na-delay pagdating dito, nasira na gulay,&quot; Morales said, noting the drastic shift in arrival times. &quot;Alas-9 ng gabi [dapat] dito dadating... Ala-1 na [ng madaling araw dumating ngayon].&quot;</p><p>The delay is primarily driven by impassable stretches and bottleneck points along NLEX, particularly around San Simon, Pampanga, where floodwaters have forced heavy transport vehicles to proceed with extreme caution or remain stranded for hours.</p><p>Truck driver Armand Lorenzo, who hauled vegetables from Nueva Vizcaya, shared that his journey took nearly double the usual time.</p><p>Leaving Nueva Vizcaya at 8:30 p.m. on Monday evening, Lorenzo expected to complete the trip within the standard five-and-a-half-hour window, but did not arrive in Quezon City until almost 6:00 a.m. on Tuesday.</p><p>&quot;Mag-aala-6 na [dumating],&quot; Lorenzo said. &quot;Grabe baha at sobrang traffic [sa NLEX].&quot;</p><p>Lorenzo noted that the situation has plagued the route for multiple consecutive days, citing a similar disruption during his Monday run when he arrived past 8:00 a.m. due to the combined impact of floodwater levels and gridlock.</p><p>&quot;Malaking perwisyo talaga, lahat ng mga sasakyan andun, hindi pa makadaan yung mga iba,&quot; Lorenzo added. &quot;Pati pagbalik, apektado.&quot;</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>CUBAO TERMINAL PACKED</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>The rising floodwaters along the NLEX also sparked traffic delays and stranded passengers at a bus terminal in Cubao, Quezon City, early Tuesday morning.</p><p>The gridlock stems from overflowing water from the Pampanga River, which inundated portions of the highway in San Simon, Pampanga, drastically slowing down vehicular movement and extending travel times between Metro Manila and Northern Luzon.</p><p>In response to the deteriorating conditions, tollway operators began diverting traffic to prevent smaller vehicles from stalling.</p><p>&quot;Class 1, 2, and 3 motorists traveling northbound are being diverted to the Sta. Rita Exit and advised to proceed via Maharlika Road toward the Central Luzon Link Expressway (CLLEX) as an alternative route,&quot; NLEX stated in an advisory released late Monday night.</p><p>Despite continuous operations, the delays left long-distance passengers exhausted upon arriving in Metro Manila.</p><p>Arnie Santiago, 48, traveled from Dinalupihan, Bataan, with her children on Monday night at around 9:00 p.m., only to reach Cubao at 3:40 a.m. on Tuesday—a trip that took eight hours instead of the usual three to four.</p><p>&quot;Oo, sa NLEX po. Ngayon lang naman nangyari na dumaan ako nang ganun,&quot; Santiago said, describing the unusual congestion along the highway. &quot;Lagi naman po ako nagbibiyahe pauwi ng Bataan. Ngayon lang nangyari. Tapos maraming mga sasakyan, usually mga kotse, nakagilid na lang sila. Kasi siguro hindi sila pinapayagan pa siguro dumaan sa gitna.&quot;</p><div><br/></div><div><b> 18 HOURS INSIDE A BUS</b></div><div><br/></div><p>For passengers traveling in the opposite direction, getting out of Metro Manila proved just as difficult.</p><p>Constantino Tajac, 46, a construction worker from Sta. Mesa, Manila, lost a full day&#x27;s work trying to find a ride to San Fernando, Pampanga.</p><p>After spending hours waiting at the terminal until Monday afternoon, Tajac returned before 3:00 a.m. on Tuesday hoping to catch a trip.</p><p>&quot;Antayin daw po yung bus tapos nakapila pa... Eh hindi po ako nakasakay kasi malaki daw yung tubig sa San Simon saka mahaba daw po yung traffic,&quot; Tajac shared. &quot;Malaking kawalan din sa pamilya ko yung isang araw. Nagbabakasakali... Baka makasakay na ako rin ngayon, makapasok na sa trabaho,” he added.</p><p>The situation was equally severe for long-haul commuters like 60-year-old Baby Pinto and her husband, who spent nearly 18 hours inside a bus coming from San Manuel, Isabela.</p><p>Departing at 8:00 a.m. on Monday, they arrived in Cubao around 2:30 a.m. Tuesday—an 18-hour journey compared to the typical shorter trip.</p><p>&quot;Pag nagbiyahe kasi kami ng alas 8... eh dapat alas 9 andun na kami,&quot; Pinto said. &quot;Ang daming traffic kasi... Ang hirap. Hirap, ang sakit ng likod.&quot;</p><p>Victory Liner bus company confirmed that all Northern Luzon routes originating from Metro Manila—including trips bound for Baguio, Zambales, Olongapo, and Pangasinan—have seen severe operational disruptions.</p><p>Robert Silvestre, Terminal Master at Victory Liner Cubao, noted that congestion near the Tulaoc area has pushed average travel times to between 11 and 12 hours.</p><p>&quot;Sa ngayon talagang apektado. Ilang araw na po yan dahil nga sa baha sa Tulaoc, kaya ayan mula Candaba viaduct hanggang Tulaoc na, siguro almost 11 to 12 hours po ang biyahe,&quot; Silvestre explained.</p><p>He noted that even secondary bypasses through Bulacan are experiencing heavy bottlenecking.</p><p>&quot;Kahapon, merong suggestion naman na merong ibang daan dito sa Bulacan. Ganon din naman, at ma-traffic din po. Kaya northbound at southbound, apektado po. Talagang traffic po. Sobrang traffic ng NLEX talaga,” he explained.</p><p>Silvestre advised departing passengers to prepare for long periods without movement along the expressway.</p><p>&quot;Syempre na-stranded sila sa daan dahil nga traffic, dahil sa baha. Kaya pinapayuhan namin yung mga pasahero natin ngayon, sana magbaon sila ng tubig, pagkain kasi nga talagang walang galawan sa NLEX,&quot; Silvestre said. &quot;Malayo din yung mga kung may stopover sana sa mga gasolinaan... kaya medyo talagang matagal ang biyahe.&quot;</p><p>While Victory Liner has not formally canceled trips, bus departures remain dependent on passenger volume and unit availability due to delayed return trips.</p><p>Alternative detours, such as routing through Balagtas and Sta. Rita in Bulacan, are currently open to all northern routes to help bypass the worst parts of the NLEX gridlock.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><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/DhC7vxjg1gA?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>The delay is primarily driven by impassable stretches and bottleneck points along NLEX, particularly around San Simon, Pampanga, where floodwaters have forced heavy transport vehicles to proceed with extreme caution or remain stranded for hours.</p>

The delay is primarily driven by impassable stretches and bottleneck points along NLEX, particularly around San Simon, Pampanga, where floodwaters have forced heavy transport vehicles to proceed with extreme caution or remain stranded for hours.

Flooding along NLEX delays North Luzon deliveries, passenger trips

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Flooding along NLEX delays North Luzon deliveries, passenger trips

Bea Cuadra,

ABS-CBN News

Published September 01, 2026 08:55 AM PHT

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Market

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Vegetable

Balintawak

Quezon City

NLEX

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Flood

Cubao

Bus

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