September 22, 2026
Tzu Chi aids Pampanga families still displaced after month-long flooding
By Thania Florendo
More than a month after floodwaters forced families to leave their homes, 451 residents of Sto. Tomas, Pampanga, received relief from Tzu Chi Foundation on September 19 at San Matias National High School.
The month-long heavy rain brought by the southwest monsoon sent floodwaters as high as the second floor of some homes. Unlike floods that subside within days, the waters in affected areas of Sto. Tomas remained for more than a month, extending the residents’ stay in evacuation centers.
Before dawn on September 19, Tzu Chi University scholars bound for Taiwan helped in loading relief goods onto the trucks of on-demand delivery platform Lalamove. Their help, along with Lalamove’s support in transporting the supplies from Sta. Mesa, Manila, to Pampanga, brought much-needed assistance closer to families in need.
On the ground, 14 Tzu Chi volunteers from Pampanga and Manila, joined by 32 scholars, one member of Tzu Chi Youth, and eight staff members, led the distribution in two batches. Each beneficiary received 20 kilograms of rice, blankets, sleeping mats, a water jug, basin, clothes, and grocery items. Working alongside the local government unit of Sto. Tomas and other local volunteers, the team reached 451 families still staying in evacuation centers.
Vice Mayor Gloria Ronquillo said Sto. Tomas’s low-lying location made it particularly vulnerable to prolonged flooding, affecting nearly all its barangays and leaving residents in schools-turned-evacuation centers. She expressed gratitude to Tzu Chi for returning to help affected families, “This is the fourth time Tzu Chi has aided us, and I’m most grateful to Tzu Chi, especially CEO Henry Yuñez, for helping our people.”
Ronquillo assured residents that the local government would continue working toward their recovery and finding ways to assist them in any way possible.
When the flooding hit, 68-year-old Vilma Castro and eight family members, including a grandchild living with lupus from Bondocville, Sto. Niño, were forced to evacuate. Her entire Bondocville community stays in evacuation centers, relying on assistance as floodwaters refuse to recede.
To reach the relief distribution venue, Castro and her neighbors had to cross the flooded area by small boat, wearing wading pants for safety. Given the difficult journey, she was moved to tears upon receiving the relief goods.
“I’m tearing up because I’m so happy to receive these items. I have something to bring home for my grandchildren, which will be useful to us,” Castro said, describing the assistance as one of the biggest blessings she has received in her lifetime.
Another beneficiary, 61-year-old Alfredo Mallari of San Matias, Pampanga, said his wife’s small savings helped them secure food and groceries, but the family still had to endure the difficult conditions inside the evacuation center. Ten families share one classroom.
Mallari had known Tzu Chi as a generous benefactor. He recalled receiving similar relief items from the organization during an earlier disaster in Magalang, Pampanga. He and his family were grateful to once again receive what he described as a blessing.
“To my fellow community members who are still stuck in these evacuation centers, we still have to keep fighting for this life. Hopefully, in the coming years, there will be no calamities like this again,” he said.
Tzu Chi volunteer Pansy Ho expressed gratitude to the organization’s leadership, volunteers, and supporters who helped make the relief operation possible.
“We are very grateful to our superiors, our executive team, and many volunteers. Among the 451 families receiving aid today, many of their homes are actually still flooded right now. We are deeply grateful for Master Cheng Yen's compassion, which allows us to distribute relief to these families in need,” Ho shared.
For those who have spent more than a month away from home, a simple bag of essentials can mean comfort, dignity, and strength to keep going. But the need does not end with one relief operation. As families wait for the waters to recede, Tzu Chi hopes more people will lend a hand and help them take the next step toward home.
Residents of Sto. Tomas, Pampanga, continue to deal with lingering floodwaters more than a month after the flooding began.
Beneficiaries line up early on September 19 at San Matias National High School, hoping to receive much-needed relief assistance.
In partnership with on-demand delivery platform Lalamove, Tzu Chi Foundation transferred relief supplies from the Buddhist Tzu Chi Campus in Sta. Mesa, Manila to Sto. Tomas, Pampanga, reflecting the community’s shared effort to bring aid to families affected by the floods.
Barangay officials from Sapa, Sto. Niño worked alongside Tzu Chi volunteers in unloading sacks of rice and other relief items.
Tzu Chi volunteers help unload sacks of rice for the relief distribution.
Tzu Chi volunteers lead in crowd control as beneficiaries wait eagerly.
Tzu Chi volunteers arrange water jugs and basins in preparation for the relief distribution.
Tzu Chi volunteers arrange water jugs and basins in preparation for the relief distribution.
Tzu Chi Pampanga scholars assist at the registration table by issuing stubs to beneficiaries.
Tzu Chi staff Julie Collado starts the program by introducing the Tzu Chi Foundation and its global impact of humanitarian efforts.
Tzu Chi volunteer Johnny Kwok shares how the entire Tzu Chi family empathizes with flood-affected families and hopes that each relief item can be useful in their daily lives.
Tzu Chi volunteer Luis Diamante shows a water basin that beneficiaries can use to wash clothes and clean belongings once they return home after the floods.
Each beneficiary received 20 kilograms of rice, blankets, sleeping mats, a water jug, a basin, clothes, and grocery items.
The people of Sto. Tomas, Pampanga generously donate whatever they can in Tzu Chi coin cans in hopes of returning the blessing they receive.
Prayers are offered for an end to suffering around the world, with hopes that the guidance of Buddha will continue to lead and protect those in need.
Prayers are offered for an end to suffering around the world, with hopes that the guidance of Buddha will continue to lead and protect those in need.
Beneficiary Alfredo Mallari (left) shares that he is blessed to be a beneficiary of Tzu Chi’s relief distribution.
Smiles brighten the faces of beneficiaries as they receive their relief items.
Some beneficiaries were surprised to find themselves carrying home 20 kilograms of rice along with the other relief items.
Some beneficiaries were surprised to find themselves carrying home 20 kilograms of rice along with the other relief items.
Beneficiary Vilma Castro eagerly carries her relief items back to their assigned evacuation center. She is also excited to share with others about the generous benefactor of these items.
First-time volunteers Edna Gonzales (right) and her son, Austin Bartko, find the experience fulfilling as they serve the community alongside Tzu Chi volunteers.
(From left) Tzu Chi volunteers Luis Diamante and Pancy Ho present a commemorative 30th anniversary book of Tzu Chi Philippines to Vice Mayor Gloria Ronquillo, as a gift for her support and coordination for Tzu Chi to reach Sto. Tomas, Pampanga.
In return, the local government unit of Sto. Tomas, Pampanga presents Tzu Chi with a plaque of appreciation, recognizing the Foundation’s relief efforts.
Tzu Chi volunteers from Manila and Pampanga, together with youth, scholars, and Vice Mayor Gloria Ronquillo, gather for a group photo to wrap up a successful relief distribution.