CABANGAN, ZAMBALES — More than 700 residents were forced to leave their homes after nonstop heavy rains triggered significant flooding across low-lying communities in Cabangan, Zambales, authorities said Friday, August 28.
As of 4 p.m., 245 families or 719 individuals were staying in 10 evacuation centers, according to the Cabangan Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO). Barangay Mabanglit recorded the largest number of evacuees, with 180 families or 518 people displaced by the rising floodwaters.
Other affected communities included Apo-Apo, San Rafael, Anonang, Casabaan, Cadmang, and Sta. Rita, as floodwaters in some areas rose above knee level and inundated rice fields and other farmlands.
National Highway Briefly Cut Off by Floodwaters
The flooding also disrupted travel after a portion of the National Highway in Barangay Mabanglit became impassable to all vehicles at the height of the flooding. Motorists were advised to avoid the affected area and use alternate routes.
Authorities later reported that the water had significantly receded and the previously flooded section of the highway had become passable again.
PAGASA Had Raised a Red Rainfall Warning
The emergency unfolded as the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) issued a red heavy rainfall warning for several parts of Zambales, including Cabangan, on Friday morning.
A red rainfall warning indicates that intense rainfall may bring serious flooding in vulnerable and low-lying areas, underscoring the danger faced by communities already saturated by weeks of persistent rains.
Weather forecasts also warned of substantial rainfall across Zambales through the weekend, with earlier projections placing expected rainfall at 100 to 200 millimeters in parts of the province and potentially higher amounts in mountainous and elevated areas.
Zambales Continues to Face a Difficult August
The latest flooding in Cabangan comes as Zambales continues to recover from repeated weather-related emergencies this month. Earlier in August, thousands of residents across the province were evacuated as persistent rains associated with the southwest monsoon, or habagat, inundated riverine and coastal communities.
Reports from Philstar.com said nearly 2,900 people were evacuated across Zambales during a separate flooding episode earlier this month, highlighting the province’s continued vulnerability to prolonged heavy rainfall.
The provincial government has also placed Zambales under a state of calamity following widespread flooding, landslides, and damage to homes, infrastructure, and agriculture caused by recent severe weather. Authorities previously reported that more than 17,000 people across the province had been affected.
Residents Urged to Remain Alert
While floodwaters in the affected parts of Cabangan had begun to recede as of the latest local update, disaster officials and residents remain on alert as rain continues to threaten communities already weakened by weeks of severe weather.
For families in low-lying and flood-prone areas, the danger may not be over simply because the water has gone down.
The question now is whether the next round of heavy rain will bring another wave of evacuations.
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