Millions down the drain

In the 4th District of Pangasinan, which includes Dagupan City, Mangaldan, San Fabian, San Jacinto, and Manaoag, the office responsible for planning, funding, and executing major flood control projects is the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Pangasinan 2nd District Engineering Office (2nd DEO), operating alongside the DPWH Region I Office. And since the 4th District sits at the downstream of major river systems—specifically the Bued, Cayanga, Angalacan, and Sinocalan Rivers—flood control initiatives are divided between river basins and localized urban projects. 

DPWH Ilocos Regional Director Ronnel Tan said that ₱3 billion of the proposed ₱24 billion flood mitigation budget for the Sinucalan and Cayanga-Angalacan river systems was funded by 2025. Spanning Dagupan City, Calasiao, San Fabian, and central Pangasinan, the initiative includes flood defense infrastructure, including detention ponds, pumping stations, floodgates, and diversion channels. 

In 2023, a ₱4.9-million drainage construction project was undertaken in Barangay Cayanga, San Fabian, Pangasinan. With an allocation of ₱4,941,245.00, the initiative aimed to improve water flow and mitigate flooding in the low-lying coastal community. In the same year, the construction of Flood Mitigation Structure along Bued River, Barangay Anonang, San Fabian was completed with a funding of ₱91,672,667. San Jacinto also initiated the construction of River Bank Protection in Brgy. Sto. Tomas costs a staggering amount of ₱28,946,887. 

In Manaoag, on the other hand, the construction of ₱19,595,588 Riverbank Protection in Barangay Poblacion and totaling ₱29,395,997 Riverbank Protection in Brgy. Lipit Sur was completed in 2023. Another Riverbank Protection that costs ₱48,996,410 in Brgy. Lelemaan was constructed in 2024. 

Millions were poured into flood mitigation, only to go straight down the drain. Municipalities across the district continue to endure severe flooding that devastates local livelihoods and disrupts daily life. The persistent failure of the district’s flood control infrastructure is an issue of accountability, where taxpayers pay twice for floods that never seem to clear.

This is especially true for Dagupan City and the municipality of Mangaldan—two areas in District 4 that suffered severe flooding, prompting local officials to declare a State of Calamity as Typhoon Maymay hit Luzon. 

Drowning in despair, Dagupeños? 

A total of 22, 047 families, or 90,015 individuals, from 31 barangays of Dagupan City have been affected due to the onslaught of Typhoon Maymay, compounded by the southwest monsoon, that brought persistent rain and severe flooding to the area that prompted the local government unit to place the city under State of Calamity. City Social Welfare Officer Irene Liwanag reported that over 360 families—totaling 1,044 individuals—were forced into 16 evacuation centers, with low-lying areas such as Barangays Malued, Bacayao Norte, and Lasip Grande, being among the worst-affected areas. At this point, flooding is an all-too-familiar sight.  It is an age-old, continuing issue that, to this day, has yet to see an effective solution. Dagupenos are left with no choice but to mask their suffering behind a facade of bravery as they watch their boats drown amidst a systemic failure. 

The Sinocalan River reached a critical high level of 7.2 meters during the onslaught of Typhoon Maymay, which means only one thing for Dagupan City—perenial flooding will once again threaten its streets. A flood mitigation project is supposed to prevent, or at least lessen such impacts, however, the irony is that despite millions spent, the city remains just as vulnerable. Back in 2025, dredging operations in Dagupan were strengthened with the help of three new dredgers from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Region I as part of the city's flood mitigation program to somehow alleviate the issue of floodwaters. Yet, these were left idle for nearly seven months due to an alleged lack of approved funding. Operations only resumed around May 2026 once its over ₱16 million budget was finally approved. 

Another flood mitigation initiative that came to a halt was the ₱25-million Sustainable Infrastructure Projects Alleviating Gaps (SIPAG) for the improvement of Arzadon road, funded under the 2024 General Appropriations Act (GAA). The contract took effect on June 24, 2024, with an original completion target of November 28, 2024. However, residents of Barangay Mayombo voiced their concern over the project remaining unfinished despite its purpose of addressing local flooding. DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon personally heard these concerns and inspected Dagupan City on June 16, 2026. The project is now targeted for completion by June 2026. It is ironic that it took a national official to hear the desperate pleas of a community—grievances that should have been heard and addressed first by the local government unit of Dagupan City. It should not require an inspection led by the DPWH secretary just to finish a project left idling in neglect. Now, as Typhoon Maymay hits Dagupan, the lives of its residents are submerged—especially in Barangay Mayombo, whose only ray of hope was an infrastructure project discarded and disregarded by the government. 

And here come the boasted elevated highways that Mayor Belen T. Fernandez claimed were flood-free. Perhaps the band-aid infrastructure built by the local government unit of Dagupan—elevated roads along streets like Perez Boulevard, Zamora Street, Rivera Street, and Arellano Street—was only meant to adapt to rising water levels. Yet raising the asphalt without fixing the root of this problem only pushes the water onto someone else’s doorstep.  

Dagupan is crisscrossed by seven rivers and 14 creeks, sitting right on the coast of Lingayen Gulf. This low-lying geography means flooding is indeed an all-too-familiar scene. But should we really just settle for that? While days of heavy rain and high tides left much of the city nearly submerged, St. John Cathedral managed to remain completely dry. This was made possible by a 9-by-5-meter cistern, three meters deep, installed beneath the church's parking area to catch rainwater. According to Msgr. Manuel S. Bravo, severe flooding previously plagued the parish grounds. Interestingly, the local government had initially advised them to just elevate the church floor and parking spaces. Yet, the church chose an effective and lasting solution. The cistern works as a central catch basin, using submersible pumps to push the collected water directly into the drainage system. 

The mistake here is that the local government unit of Dagupan City continues to seek solutions that don’t even hold substance. They must prioritize dredging, river mitigation, expanded drainage capacity, and above all, long-term urban planning. Yet, local officials remain fixated on piling asphalt layer upon asphalt layer, falsely hoping that floodwaters wouldn’t be able to reach the surface of the road. 

Until then, Dagupeños will continue to drown in despair and remain the ones paying the price for the system’s neglect. 

Where have Mangaldan’s crops gone? 

Similarly to Dagupan City, the municipality of Mangaldan officially declared a State of Calamity through Sangguniang Bayan Resolution No. 2026-171 on August 11, 2026  following the recommendation of the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (MDRRMC).  According to the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (MSWDO), 34,077 families, or 119,270 individuals, across the town have been directly affected by persistent flooding. Moreover, the Municipal Agriculture Office reported an initial ₱13.52 million in agricultural losses. 

Dated back in 2021, a ₱44.87-million project also involves the construction of a 200-meter flood control structure that will protect both properties and crops during the wet season. In a recent report, AJ Cabrera, Mangaldan Municipal General Services Officer, said that Barangays Poblacion and Sulay are among the barangays that serve as catch basins for floodwaters. To address this problem, the local government initiated the ‘Rehabilitation and Upgrading of Barangay Road with Drainage Improvement of Estayo Street in Brgy. Poblacion’. The initiative was built between March and June with nearly ₱4 million allocated from the development fund, constructing elevated roads and installing concrete drainage canals. 

When Typhoon Nando struck the municipality in 2025, over 1,700 homes in Barangay Anolid were swamped by the overflowing Payas Creek, forcing local farmers to watch helplessly as their crops drowned in the floodwaters. A year later, it is still the exact same scene, caused by the exact same problem. As Typhoon Maymay and persistent rain caused flooding, the Municipal Agriculture Office reported that total agricultural damage has surged past ₱13.5 million. The damages includes over ₱12 million in lost palay, ₱483,050 in ruined corn fields, ₱437,540 in high-value crop losses, and another ₱583,000 blows to local fisheries.

Due to heavy rains, vegetable farmers in Mangaldan were forced to harvest their crops early. Just to put food on the table, they settled for prices that fell far short of their hard work. And when everyone harvested at once, an oversupplied market dragged farmgate prices straight down. Okra, which previously sold for more than ₱100 per kilogram, now sells for only ₱40 to ₱60 per kilogram in the Mangaldan Public Market. Other lowland vegetables have also become cheaper, eggplant sells for  ₱40 per kilogram, string beans for ₱60, bitter gourd for ₱80, and tomatoes for ₱70. 

The recurring floods in Mangaldan expose a clear gap between short-term fixes and long-term climate risks. Millions of pesos were spent on road elevations and drainage construction, but these efforts merely moved the water around rather than addressing the underlying issue. It fell short in protecting low-lying areas where major waterways like Payas Creek and other river systems overflow during heavy typhoons. 

There were no preventive measures for the municipality’s agricultural sector—farmers were left to drown in their own fields as their crops slowly lost their value in the market. Instead of repetitive relief operations, farmers need structural solutions for their farmlands. The local government unit should have coordinated with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) to install drainage and flap gates that prevent river overflow from rushing backward into low-lying farm basins. 

When crops die, farmers lose their income, and ordinary Filipinos lose food off their tables. Where have Mangaldan's crops gone? They have died into muddy farmland or been forced onto market tables at prices that fail to recognize their value—a loss caused directly by the neglect of those who hold control.