Pampanga First District Congressman Carmelo “Pogi” Lazatin, Jr. has requested additional funding from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) through the Pampanga 3rd District Engineering Office for the year-round maintenance of creeks in Angeles City.

The request followed flash floods on July 20, 2026, when large amounts of plastic, Styrofoam, and other waste were seen floating in floodwaters, particularly near waterways connected to the Abacan River system.

Lazatin said regular creek maintenance should be conducted throughout the year, not only during the rainy season, to keep waterways clear and help mitigate flooding.

He also urged residents to avoid dumping garbage, particularly plastic waste, into creeks and other waterways.

During his tenure as Angeles City mayor, the city implemented the award-winning “Walang Plastikan: Plastic-Palit-Bigas Program,” which exchanged one kilogram of plastic waste for one kilogram of rice. From January 2022 to March 2024, the program collected 2,925,631 kilos of plastic waste in exchange for an equal amount of rice distributed to residents.