CROPPED LIVES AND CROPS BY CROC

Pangasinan incurred a total of ₱105.7 million infrastructure and agriculture damage with ₱205,350 partial cost of damage to palay crops in Rosales, Pangasinan due to the heavy rains and flooding caused by Tropical Storm Maymay and southwest monsoon. Pangasinan’s 5th and 6th district is positioned at the Central and Eastern portion of Pangasinan, wherein Agno River directly runs through after descending from Cordillera mountains. As tropical storms and heavy monsoon rains cause upstream reservoirs in Benguet to overflow, Ambuklao and Binga Dam are forced to release water into San Roque Dam, once the dam also reaches its spilling point, its spillway gates open causing rapid river swelling and flooding in cities and municipalities comprised of District 5 and 6 of the region. This, as a result, made both districts the focus of Department of Public Works and Highways’ (DPWH) civil engineering interventions, investing a total of ₱5,900,786,238 on 288 flood control projects comprised of dikes, flood mitigation and control structures, bank protection, slope protection, and drainages.

DISTRICT 5

Pangasinan’s 5th Congressional District thrives in the aspect of agriculture due to fertile low lands and Agno River Irrigation System (ARIS), producing most of Ilocos Region’s eggplants and vegetables, corn, and palay crops, making Pangasinan rank 3rd out of 10 provinces in the national Gross Added Value (GVA) of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing (AFF) with a GVA amounting to ₱66.93 billion.

 Severe flooding driven by tropical storms, monsoons, and da, overflows across low-lying areas has caused displacement and economic constraints, affecting a total of 447, 425 individiuals—among the numbers were 780 families, or 2, 283 individuals, staying in evacuation centers while 43 families, or 153 individuals have taken shelter with relatives. Moreover, contaminated floodwater presents a grave public health risk, as evidenced by recurring leptospirosis cases and fatalities in areas like Urdaneta City and Sison. Furthermore, the agricultural sector faces susceptibility due to P40.3 million loss across 690 hectares of farmland in Bautista alone. 

Agno River Basin Infrastructure 

The Agno River Flood Control Project is a massive, multi-phase infrastructure spearheaded by DPWH with major funding provided by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) via Official Development Assistance (ODA) Loans. Agno River Basin is the second largest river basin on Luzon and fifth largest in the Philippines spanning from Cordillera, flowing through Ambuklao, Binga, and San Roque Dam, then emptying through Lingayen Gulf. 

As the river runs through Pangsinan river channels, the Ambuklao, Binga, and San Roque dams were constructed as part of the flood control project to hold water, prevent river overflow, and prevent severe flooding.

Before San Roque Dam, dikes and banks were built, the river was highly meandering and braided without contiguous concrete dikes or reservoirs. As the river naturally changed course, it permanently altered the line between the water and land, swallowing riverbank communities especially during monsoon season when the river would swell and spill over shallow banks.

Philkoei International Inc. took hold of the initial planning and engineering consultation, conducting initial feasibility studies for Agno and Allied Rivers starting in 1991, and later took hold the review of engineering designs and supervision on construction for Phase I and II. Major sections of the Phase II, Package III were awarded to C.M. Pancho Construction Inc. involving social development and engineering works for Poponto Retarding Basin, starting March 21, 2002, in which the construction of dikes started along with twenty-two (22) evacuation centers and road elevation across Pangasinan and Tarlac. Completion of projects dated November 25, 2004.

During the course of time, several contractors have taken a hold of flood control infrastructure rehabilitation, protection, upgrades, and maintenance. St. Almers Construction & Enterprise was the contractor assigned for Agno River Basin Flood Control Project – Rehabilitation of Alcala – Bautista Earthdike (Left dike) from 2018-2019, Goldrich Construction & Trading involved in construction of riverbank protection and rehabilitation in Aguilar and Bugallon from 2020-2021, and Villar General Construction and Supply from 2021 up until the present date manages repair/maintenance and post-typhoon upgrades to infrastructures.

Bued River Mitigation & Dike Works (Sison) 

Bued River Mitigation and Dike Works is a vital flood control project situated  designed to divert heavy mountain runoff and aims to prevent heavy river overflow entering low lying Sison communities, reduce long-term flood risks to the agricultural sector and residential zones, ,and stabilize the course of the river during heavy rainfall by improving river channel flow paths and building reinforced dikes and slope protection. Originating in Baguio City, the Bued River flows through an 80-kilometer long waterway, traversing water channels in Benguet and Pangasinan alongside Kenon Road.

DISTRICT 6

Extreme weather conditions such as heavy rainstorms leave the economy vulnerable to loss and decline as Pangasinan’s 6th Congressional District is economically dependent on its agricultural sector. Heavy rains from tropical storms and southwest monsoon triggers river swelling and flooding in low-lying areas, farmlands submerged in flood waters delay planting cycles, damaged crops, and impairing farm-dependent livelihoods. 

Agno River Basin Dikes & Revetments (Tayug, Rosales, & San Manuel) 

San Roque Dam, located in San Manuel, serves as a critical infrastructure in the flood-control network across District 6, effectively holding metric tons of water from Agno River to flow downstream into nearby rivers therefore preventing them from swelling and causing flooding during heavy rain downpour.

Before San Roque Dam, dikes and banks were built, the river was highly meandering and braided without contiguous concrete dikes or reservoirs. As the river naturally changed course, it permanently altered the line between the water and land, swallowing riverbank communities especially during monsoon season when the river would swell and spill over shallow banks.

Additionally, low-lying communities in Tayug are now safer with flood mitigation segments built in different locations along Agno River. A 526-meter protection wall along the river stands tall in In Brgy. Agno, and a 312-meter dike in Barangay Barangobong – Magallanes was also built, offering protection to farmlands and riverside communities.

AFTER ALL OF THAT, WHY ARE TOWNS STILL SUBMERGED?

Towns remain submerged during heavy rains caused by tropical storms and monsoons despite the flood control projects done in District 5 and 6 due to heavy siltation of riverbeds from debris and soil originating from the upper portion of Agno river making the river shallower and lose its original holding capacity, therefore overflowing to nearby rivers and into communities.