No floods seen as some Luzon dams release ‘minimal volumes’ of water

MANILA, Philippines – Stabilizing water level has prompted a Bulacan Dam to close its gates while another dam in the province along with three other Luzon dams have kept a gate each open to normalize water levels as floodwaters continued to subside in several submerged towns.

On Sunday the Angat Dam in Bulacan opened its floodgates at 4 p.m. to ease water level which was measured at 215.1 meters way past its normal high water level of 210 meters. But the release of water was described to be “very minimal” and is not expected to cause flooding.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) Hydrometeorology Division (HMD) reported that the Ipo Dam in Bulacan has closed its floodgate at around 6 a.m., Sunday, as soon as water levels went below the normal high water level of 100.80 meters and was pegged at 100.64 meters.

Sonia Serrano, of the Pagasa HMD, told the Inquirer that the Angat Dam released very minimal volumes of water so there was no threat of flooding. “They (dam management) proposed releasing 72 cubic meters per second which could be considered very small,” she pointed out.

Areas that would have been submerged on a larger volume of water release from the Angat Dam are the towns of Norzagaray, Calumpit and Hagonoy, all in Bulacan.

The Ambuklao, Binga, and San Roque Dams have each kept a floodgate open to continue easing critical levels. Water level at the Ambuklao Dam in Benguet was recorded at around 11 a.m. Sunday at 751.66 meters below its normal high water level of 752 meters.

Pagasa HMD said that the Binga Dam in Ifugao, Benguet has maintained a gate open despite water level continually receding. Water level at the dam was measured at 574.01 meters way below its 575-meter normal high water level.

The San Roque Dam in Pangasinan has kept a gate open by a meter as receding water levels was measured at 280.57 meters closer to its normal high water level of 280 meters. Water released from the Ambuklao and Binga Dams goes directly to the San Roque Dam through the Agno River.

The water level of the La Mesa Dam in Quezon City continued to steadily decrease and was measured at around 11 a.m. at 79.55 meters below its spilling level of 80.15 meters. Water levels at the Angat Dam in Bulacan and the Magat Dam in Isabela have breached normal high water levels but neither has opened gates. Water level at the Magat Dam was pegged at 191.88 meters beyond its normal 190 meters.

The Pagasa HMD noted that with floodwaters slowly receding in the Agno River tributaries, flooding will no longer persist in the low-lying areas of Sta. Barbara, Calasiao, Binmaley, Binalonan, Malasiqui and the cities of Dagupan and Urdaneta, all in Pangasinan.

Flooding, the weather bureau division said, is anticipated to recede slowly in the low-lying areas of the Pangasinan municipalities Alcala, Bautista, Bayambang, Urbiztondo, Mangatarem, Aguilar, Bugallon, Labrador, Lingayen and the city of San Carlos because of the outflow from the San Roque Dam.

Meanwhile, the slow recession of floodwaters in the Pampanga River Basin and its tributaries is expected to make flooding persist for several days in the some areas of Arayat, San Simon, Apalit, and San Luis, the Candaba Swamp Area, Mexico, San Fernando, Sta. Ana, Sto. Tomas, Minalin, Sasmuan, Lubao and Guagua, all in Pampanga, as well as the towns of Hagonoy and Calumpit in Bulacan.

Coastal flooding in low-lying and tide-influenced areas will continue to persist in Hagonoy and Paombong, both in Bulacan; as well as in the towns of Macabebe and Masantol in Pampanga.

The weather bureau advised residents and the disaster risk reduction and management councils concerned in the areas to continue taking appropriate actions.