WITH SINOCALAN RIVER DOWN TO 6.1MASL

BARRING more big rains upstream of the Sinocalan watershed, flood in Dagupan’s 31 barangays is finally expected to ease this week.

The city is the catchment basin of rainwater from the Cordilleras originating from its fountain head in Tuba, Benguet.

In an interview over IFM Radio Dagupan Wednesday August 2, Ronald de Guzman, head of the technical working group of the Dagupan City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC), validated the forecast when the level water of the Sinocalan River in Sta. Barbara town dropped from 7.9 meters above sea level on July 30 to 6.1 masl. as of 6:00 p.m. last August 1.

All barangays of Dagupan were affected by the flood but those considered by CDRRMC as critical were Bacayao Sur, Bacayao Norte, Mayombo-Hererro-Perez, Lasip Chico, Malued, Lasip Grande, Pogo Grande and Pogo Chico.

As of August 2, despite the situation, all roads in Dagupan were still passable to light vehicles except Tapuac Road-DCNHS, YMCA-Caltex, Burgos St,-Gomez Intersection; Perez- Boulevard-Rizal Intersection; Rizal Extension; Welcome Rotunda (Mercury Drug) to Mayombo; Herrero Street (back of SM Center); Old De Venecia Road  (Sphere Cars), and Grumpy Joe, Malued, Banaoang, Intersection.

Not passable to all types of motor vehicles was the Pogo Grande-Guilig Creek.

Bancas and “kuligligs” that were ferrying commuters were reportedly overcharging their passengers, from P35 to P50.

Meanwhile, De Guzman defended the announced early and continuous suspension of classes in all levels, in both public and private as for the safety of student population.

“Imagine, if we haven’t suspended classes at 1:00 p.m. on July 25, many students would have been trapped inside their classrooms and were hurt when a tornado struck and unroofed one of the buildings of University of Pangasinan-Phinma”, he said.

In response to Dagupan’s calamitous situation, the provincial government sent two Water and Rescue team to Dagupan, elements of the 71st Infantry Battalion headed by Colonel Bautista, with one six-by-six truck and rubber boats and four personnel from the 1st Mobile Force Company in Alaminos City. (Leonardo Micua)

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