Masantol, Pampanga— The traditional solemnity of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day is being marred by persistent flooding in the town of Masantol, Pampanga, where several cemeteries remain submerged following a succession of typhoons and high tides.
For families planning to visit the final resting places of their loved ones this week, the annual pilgrimage has turned into a waterlogged ordeal.
Masantol Mayor Dan Guintu reported that the town’s public cemetery and four private cemeteries are currently impacted by floodwaters, with depths reaching as high as two feet in some areas.
Local Government Scrambles to Adapt
With many tombs inaccessible, the local government has been forced to implement contingency measures. Authorities announced plans to establish a common memorial area to provide a space for residents whose relatives’ graves are underwater.
To manage the anticipated traffic and conditions, the town has implemented traffic re-routing near the affected sites. Officials have also issued a public advisory urging visitors to come prepared, specifically recommending waterproof shoes and flashlights for anyone attempting to navigate the submerged grounds.
Mayor Pleads for Emergency Flood Funding
Mayor Guintu underscored the chronic vulnerability of Masantol, noting that the town acts as a natural catchbasin situated near Manila Bay, making it highly susceptible to flooding.
Guintu issued an urgent appeal to the national government to allocate crucial funding for major flood control infrastructure. He specifically called for support for a much-needed dike and check gate project on the boundary separating Masantol and Macabebe.
“We are truly asking the national government for funding for our flood control. We are constantly appealing, we are writing to Secretary Vince [Dizon] that our town of Masantol and its neighbor Macabebe be granted funds for the project we intend to do,” Guintu said in a local interview.
The Mayor went on to assure the public that if the funds are granted, they would be used judiciously, referencing past issues with “ghost and substandard” flood control projects in other localities.
“If they grant us the project, they can rest assured that we will focus on it. We will not squander this opportunity that is often associated with things stolen in government,” Guintu stated. “We will check to ensure that none of the funds given to the town will be wasted… It has long been our dream to be given concrete flood control so that our schools can operate normally. Our people and businesses will become normal here in the town of Masantol.”
The widespread flooding highlights the increasing challenge for low-lying coastal communities in the Philippines, which face severe disruption from extreme weather events amplified by their proximity to the sea.
