SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga – At least 1,000 families from two flood-affected barangays in this city received relief goods from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), with help from former board member Mylyn Pineda-Cayabyab and the Nanay Partylist.
Barangays Del Pilar and San Pedro Cutud each received 500 family food packs, distributed with the assistance of the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office. Each pack contained rice, canned goods, coffee, and chocolate powder.
Barangay chairs Jerry Canlas of Del Pilar and Filipina Dela Cruz of San Pedro Cutud helped in the distribution, along with Provincial Liga ng mga Barangay president Benjie Angeles and City Liga president Elmer Manguerra.
Canlas said the aid would help sustain affected families for at least two days. Dela Cruz noted that while the main road in San Pedro Cutud remains passable, many sitios are submerged. “Only the main road is not flooded. The sitios are under water,” she said.
Twenty-eight families have been forced to evacuate to Barangay Lara after floodwaters reached waist-deep levels in some areas.
The flooding was triggered by heavy rains from the southwest monsoon or habagat, worsened by recent weather disturbances. Several low-lying roads in Pampanga remain impassable.
Cayabyab assured residents that more aid will be provided as needed. The DSWD and Nanay Partylist are continuing to monitor the situation.