Pampanga flood control project relocated families to flood-prone land

Human Rights Watch has reported that Philippine authorities relocated 90 families from Pulo Island in Pampanga to a site that suffers from chronic, year-round flooding. The relocation, conducted in 2022 by the Macabebe local government and the Department of Public Works and Highways, was intended to facilitate a flood control project involving the dredging of the Pampanga River.

The new resettlement site in Barangay Candelaria is a former fish pond located below a road dike. According to the report, the area is low-lying and experiences knee- to thigh-deep flooding during high tides, which isolates residents from essential services and employment opportunities.

Human Rights Watch stated that the relocation process failed to meet national or international standards. The group noted a lack of adequate consultation, insufficient access to information, and a failure to select a suitable site. Residents reported feeling they had no choice in the matter and were pressured to demolish their homes to receive compensation. While authorities had promised to raise the site to the height of the adjacent dike, an engineer noted that the current dike design does not allow for such an elevation.