SASMUAN, Pampanga — Senator Lito Lapid led relief efforts this week in five flood-stricken towns across Pampanga, one of the provinces hardest hit by recent typhoons and monsoon rains.
Lapid distributed 5,000 food packs to affected families in the municipalities of Sasmuan, Minalin, Sto. Tomas, Macabebe, and Masantol. “Gagawin po natin ang makakaya natin para maabutan ng tulong ang ating mga kababayan na apektado ng pagbaha,” he said.
In a separate effort, former board member Mylyn Pineda-Cayabyab and the Nanay Partylist distributed family food packs to flood-hit residents in the City of San Fernando, Pampanga’s capital, reinforcing local initiatives to support recovery in hard-hit communities.
According to the Pampanga Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, 251 barangays across 18 towns and cities remain flooded, affecting over 160,000 families—more than 527,000 individuals. Damage to crops is estimated at ₱470 million, while infrastructure losses are pegged at ₱170 million.
On Thursday, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan declared the province under a state of calamity to accelerate recovery measures. Meanwhile, in Lubao, the Department of Public Works and Highways and the National Irrigation Administration are rushing to repair a breached dike in Barangay Sta. Rita.