Jamaine Punzalan

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Michael Delizo

ABS-CBN News

<div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display:flex;max-width:560px;width:100%;margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" style="position:static;visibility:visible;width:441px;height:249px;display:block;flex-grow:1" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1948216494892126434&amp;lang=en&amp;maxWidth=560px&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com%2F%23%2Fworkspace%2Fmonitoring%3Fitem%3Durn%3Anewsml%3Aod2-workbench-api.abs-cbn.com%3A2025-07-24T06%3A22%3A37.467022%3A9ceffb0f-86c8-4bb5-aded-df03510610d7%26action%3Dedit&amp;sessionId=55fe4495cccca76f44787f5018e932c387a01e5c&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=550px" data-tweet-id="1948216494892126434"></iframe></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8"></script><div><br/></div><p>LUBAO – A portion of the dike connected to the Sto. Cristo Dam in Barangay Sta. Rita, Lubao town in Pampanga collapsed after several days of heavy rains, raising the risk of massive flooding in nearby communities. </p><p>According to Pampanga Governor Lilia Pineda, the dike’s damage has reached a critical level on Thursday, potentially endangering five to six barangays with around 30,000 families should floodwaters from the dam surge through, destroying homes and agricultural lands.</p><p>“May mali kasi eh, may maling ginawa. Ginawa ‘yong dam – merong retaining wall ‘yong kanan, ‘yong kaliwa hindi ginawa. So, dito nagpunta ‘yong tubig, sinira ‘yong daan, ‘yong dike,” Pineda told DZMM. </p><p>(There was a mistake, something was done wrong. The dam was built with a retaining wall on the right side, but none on the left. So the water went this way, destroying the road and the dike.)</p><p>National Irrigation Administration (NIA) Administrator Eduardo Guillen said the damaged portion of the Sto. Cristo Dam dike measures approximately 45 meters, as of Thursday morning. The dam channels water from the Porac River.</p><p>Some houses now stand less than a meter from the eroding edge of the dike and could collapse if the damage worsens.</p><p>Guillen assured a swift response to address the situation.</p><p>“Kung puwede lang, gagawin natin lahat-lahat ‘yang mga projects na ‘yan pero misan po kasi nagde-depende po tayo doon sa pondong dumarating sa atin pero hindi naman ho tayo nagkukulang sa paghihingi,” Guillen said in the same interview.</p><p>(If we could, we would implement all those projects, but sometimes we depend on the funding that comes in. Still, we never fall short in requesting support.)</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/weather-traffic/2025/7/24/emong-maintains-strength-as-it-heads-to-northern-luzon-0919">Emong strengthens into a typhoon as it heads to northern Luzon</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>IMMEDIATE RESPONSE URGED</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Pineda expressed alarm over the worsening damage and urged immediate action from the NIA and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).</p><p>“Ito, hindi ito biro. Kapag lumabas ang tubig na ito na galing diyan sa dam niyo, washed out lahat ‘yang mga bahay, pati kalsada. So, kung puwede lang, ASAP lang. Panahon ng tag-ulan ngayon, maraming pang darating na bagyo. I-save lang ‘yong mga tao, i-save lang ‘yong mga barangay na ‘yon, please,” she appealed.</p><p>(This is no joke. If that water from your dam spills out, all those houses and roads will be washed out. So please, make it ASAP. It’s rainy season now, and more storms are coming. Just save the people, save those barangays, please.)</p><p>“Malaki ‘yong risk kasi ‘yong barangay na tinutumbok nito, hindi lang anim kakalat pa, at saka lumalawak ‘yong butas, lumalawak ‘yong sira,” she added.</p><p>(The risk is huge because the barangay this is targeting isn’t just six—more will be affected. And the hole is getting bigger, the damage is worsening.)</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>SANDBAGGING &#x27;NOT ENOUGH&#x27; </strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Temporary sandbags have been placed along the edge of the dam, but Pineda demanded that NIA and DPWH immediately take stronger measures by reinforcing the structure with boulders and sheet piles.</p><p>“Hindi uubra ‘yong ginagawa nilang sandbagging na ito, hindi puwede,” Pineda asserted.</p><p>(This sandbagging won’t work, it’s not enough.)</p><p>“Sa NIA, sa DPWH naman, maawa naman sila kasi ginawa nila itong dam na ito eh, sila ang may kasalanan eh. Dapat ‘yong kaliwa’t kanan, ginawan nila ng retaining wall.”</p><p>(To NIA and DPWH, have some compassion. They built this dam—it’s their fault. They should have built retaining walls on both sides.)</p><p>An evacuation center has already been prepared in case the dam completely overflows.  </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/weather-traffic/2025/7/24/list-flooded-roads-on-july-24-1038">LIST: Flooded roads on July 24</a><br/><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/regions/2025/7/24/laguna-de-bay-exceeds-critical-level-1201">Laguna de Bay exceeds critical level</a><br/><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/7/24/marcos-checks-on-rizal-evacuees-after-flooding-1020">Marcos checks on Rizal evacuees after flooding</a></div><div><br style="caret-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);color:rgb(0, 0, 0)"/></div>

<p>A portion of the dike connected to the Sto. Cristo Dam in Barangay Sta. Rita, Lubao town in Pampanga collapsed after several days of heavy rains, raising the risk of massive flooding in nearby communities.</p>

A portion of the dike connected to the Sto. Cristo Dam in Barangay Sta. Rita, Lubao town in Pampanga collapsed after several days of heavy rains, raising the risk of massive flooding in nearby communities.

Dike collapses in Pampanga; dam threatens to wash out villages, roads

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Dike collapses in Pampanga; dam threatens to wash out villages, roads

Michael Delizo,

ABS-CBN News

Published July 24, 2025 01:31 PM PHT

|

Updated July 24, 2025 03:25 PM PHT

Read More:

Sta. Rita

Lubao

Pampanga

Sto. Cristo Dam

Llia Pineda

National Irrigation Administrator

DPWH

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