Marilyn Cahatol

Article (news)

Lyza Aquino

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/17877447807751787744778627.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Courtesy: <em>Pampanga PIO </em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has committed to completing an unfinished pumping station in Macabebe, Pampanga and prioritizing five unfinished bridges across the Pampanga River, amid continued flooding in several towns in the province.</p><p>The commitments were made during the House Committee on Appropriations’ budget hearing on Wednesday afternoon, where Pampanga 4th district Representative Anna Bondoc raised concerns over severe flooding affecting her district.</p><p>Bondoc said six towns in her district remained flooded, with water reaching knee level in Macabebe and Masantol.</p><p>She asked DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon about the pumping stations being planned or constructed in Macabebe and Masantol.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/8/20/marcos-floods-pumping-stations-1101">Marcos eyes 13 new pumping stations, new waste-to-energy projects by next year</a></div><p>Dizon said the situation in Pampanga’s coastal towns remains particularly difficult because they receive water both from Manila Bay and various river systems, including the Pampanga River.</p><p>“Talagang pong very difficult po talaga ang situation ng coastal towns ng hindi lang po sa Pampanga, Macabebe, Masantol, kundi pati sa Bulacan,” Dizon explained.</p><p>For immediate relief, Dizon said the DPWH had deployed mobile pumps to help remove floodwaters from populated areas.</p><p>“Ang pumping stations po kasi ang importante lang po is, makapag-deploy po kami immediately ng mga pumps, para lang po mag-pump out ng tubig sa mga populated areas, palabas po sa mga waterways,” Dizon said.</p><p>He said the agency had already sent three mobile pumps to Bondoc’s district, which arrived the day before the hearing and were ready for deployment.</p><p>Dizon also revealed that a pumping station in Macabebe had been left unfinished because it was not funded.</p><p>“May pumping station po doon na hindi po natapos.”</p><p>He assured Bondoc that the DPWH would find a way to fund and complete the facility.</p><p>“We will find the way po to fund it as well. Since, continuing po ito and critical po ang pumping stations talaga natin sa Macabebe,” he said.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/regions/2026/8/24/marcos-floods-pampanga-1025">Marcos holds aerial inspection of flooded towns in Bulacan and Pampanga</a></div><div> </div><div><strong>FIVE UNFUNDED BRIDGES</strong></div><p>Bondoc also raised the status of five unfinished bridges across the Pampanga River, saying their substructures and bridge piles were already in place but the projects received zero funding in the proposed 2027 budget.</p><p>She said the bridges are particularly important from a disaster-response and national-security perspective because the province has only two major north-south routes—the North Luzon Expressway and MacArthur Highway.</p><p>Bondoc warned that both routes could become inaccessible in the event of a major disaster, particularly during the rainy season.</p><p>“Kasi po ’pag may nangyari, wala na tayong talagang dadaanan,” she said.</p><p>She described the five unfinished bridges as bypass connections that could provide alternative routes to the NLEX and MacArthur Highway.</p><p>Dizon said the DPWH would look into the projects and prioritize their completion.</p><p>“Kagaya din po ng mga bridges na unfinished, pa-prioritize po natin,” he said.</p><p>Bondoc urged the department to consider the bridges not only as infrastructure projects but also as part of the country’s national security and disaster-resilience network.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/regions/2026/8/23/dpwh-pampanga-river-master-plan-planned-manila-bay-project-eyed-to-ease-bulacan-floods-0114">DPWH: Pampanga River master plan, planned Manila Bay project eyed to ease Bulacan floods</a></div><div> </div><div><strong>DELTA BRIDGE</strong></div><p>Bondoc also sought the completion of the Delta Bridge in Masantol, a project that she said is already 95 percent complete.</p><p>She explained that the remaining funding was not utilized because the project was not bid before the election ban and the funds were subsequently returned to the national government.</p><p>Bondoc asked that the previously allocated funding be restored, stressing that it would not constitute new funding.</p><p>“Hindi naman ho extra funding ’yun kasi amin ’yun na naibalik lang,” the lawmaker said.</p><p>Dizon said the remaining work involves the bridge approaches and assured Bondoc that the project would be completed.</p><p>He later reiterated the commitment: “We will finish the bridge ma’am by early next year.”</p><p>Bondoc also thanked DPWH officials and personnel for their assistance with dredging and flood-control efforts in Pampanga.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><iframe width="960" height="540" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/H-0Mg8l7zwU?si=i62jAYsBm6wtH28l" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>

<p>The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has committed to completing an unfinished pumping station in Macabebe, Pampanga and prioritizing five unfinished bridges across the Pampanga River, amid continued flooding in several towns in the province.</p>

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has committed to completing an unfinished pumping station in Macabebe, Pampanga and prioritizing five unfinished bridges across the Pampanga River, amid continued flooding in several towns in the province.

DPWH vows to finish Macabebe Pumping Station, 5 unfunded Pampanga bridges

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DPWH vows to finish Macabebe Pumping Station, 5 unfunded Pampanga bridges

Lyza Aquino,

ABS-CBN News

Published August 26, 2026 07:56 PM PHT

Read More:

DPWH

House of Representatives

Budget Hearing

Committee of Appropriations

Pampanga

Sec. Vince Dizon

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