Blocked sill dam raises flood risk in Tarlac town

Amid ongoing typhoons, four barangays in Concepcion, Tarlac, face threats of possible flooding due to a blocking groundsill dam.

According to Barangay San Martin Captain Francisco Manalo on August 17, Monday, surplus water in the Parua River caused by continuous tropical storms troubles residents from Castillo, Lilibangan, San Martin, and Magao.

In an inspection report, the Concepcion Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office identified that the water flow had shrunk from 260 meters to 45 meters due to the sill dam.

This caused the water to flow toward the affected barangays instead of the middle of the riverbed, affecting almost 8,000 residents.

The barangay captain claimed that barangay officials were not consulted when the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) constructed the sill dam project in 2025.

In addition, the road leading to San Martin and Castillo had collapsed, temporarily closing it to ensure safety.

Concepcion Mayor Noel Villanueva responded that the local government will “collaborate” with officials from San Martin and Castillo to monitor the river, as well as with DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon on the embankment.