ANGELES CITY, Pampanga – Congressman Carmelo “Pogi” Lazatin, Jr. has requested the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), through the Pampanga 3rd District Engineering Office (DEO) led by District Engineer Asser Mallari, to conduct drainage de-clogging operations in this city after streets were flooded on July 20, 2026 following heavy rain.
“Nung nag-inspect po tayo ng mga drainage last year kasama ang DPWH, nakita po natin na dahil matanda na po ang ating mga kalsada at mga drainage, marami po dito ay maliit na para sa kasalukuyang volume na dumadaloy dito,” Lazatin said.
“Maliban sa pagpapalaki ng mga drainage, isa din pong nakikita nating solusyon sa ngayon ay ang de-clogging para ma-decongest ang drainage at mabawasan ang debris na humaharang sa pagdaloy ng tubig,” he added.
Earlier, Lazatin also requested the DPWH for additional funding for the maintenance of creeks in the city.
“Nakita natin sa nakalipas na pagbaha sa Angeles ang maraming lumutang na basura mula sa mga estero malapit sa kalsada, kaya hindi sapat na tuwing umuulan at bumabaha lang nililinis ang mga esterong ito,” Lazatin said.
“Kailangan ay buong taon may maintenance ang mga estero para panatilihing malinis ang ating waterways,” he added.
Creeks in Angeles City are connected to the Abacan River system, the most prominent of which is the Balibago Creek that runs perpendicular to the MacArthur Highway in Barangay Balibago – where a large part of the flooding occurred.
In August last year, Lazatin led the inspection and de-clogging of the drainage along Friendship Highway, stretching from Barangay Anunas to Barangay Sto. Domingo in Angeles City.
The inspection and declogging were conducted in cooperation with the DPWH Pampanga 3rd DEO, led by then District Engineer Arnold Ocampo, and with the assistance of the City Engineering Office and the Angeles City Traffic Development Office, led by Helen Ayro and Francis Pangilinan, respectively.
(Photos show long-time Lazatin aide, Michael Lising, inspecting the drainage in Barangay Lourdes Northwest on July 22, 2026.)
