Heavy rains, high tide, release of dam water floods Bulacan

Several areas in Bulacan were submerged in floods over the weekend due to the combination of continuous rains, the high tide, and the release of water from nearby dams.

Locals sought refuge in evacuation centers, but several of them in Barangay Saog, Marilao, looked after their homes from a nearby bridge that provided higher ground.

Barangay Saog Chairman Sonny Angeles said that while several residents voluntarily evacuated, some were stubborn and did not follow protocols.

“Meron daw pong mga kabataan na naliligo sa ilog. Imaginine niyo, may current, hindi sila natatakot. Ang ginawa namin, ang ginawa ko, pinarespondehan ko sa barangay,” he said in Mav Gonzales' report on GMA’s “24 Oras Weekend.”

(Some youths bathed in the river. Imagine the current, and they were not afraid. I told the barangay to respond to them.)

Floods were also reported in several barangays in Bocaue and Balagtas, also in Bulacan.

The water level continued to rise as nearby dams released water, with the Bustos Dam currently at 17.40 meters high, nearing its spilling level of 17.50 meters.

Authorities cautioned residents in low-lying areas to voluntarily evacuate should the rains continue and the floods rise. — Jon Viktor Cabuenas/DVM, GMA News