Senators slam execs overseeing Luzon dams
The San Roque Dam in San Manuel, Pangasinan, opens one gate to release water last Thursday to ease pressure on the facility from the expected heavy rains of the incoming Tropical Storm “Quiel.” INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
Lack of coordination and the absence of a healthy sense of urgency among administration officials contributed to the devastating flooding at the height of back-to-back typhoons last week, lawmakers were told Monday.
As the congressional oversight committee on disaster risk reduction and management was conducting a hearing, environmental groups lashed out at the officials for blaming climate change for the massive flooding caused by Typhoons “Pedring” and “Quiel.”
“The government has known several years back the possible effects and impacts of climate change but it has taken insignificant measures to address them,” Kalikasan-People’s Network for the Environment said in a statement.
“The cause of the recent flooding of Central Luzon is more of irresponsibility of government agencies and power corporations which regulate and manage large dams in the country,” Kalikasan said.
Froilan Tampingco, president of National Power Corp. (Napocor), admitted during the oversight panel hearing that he had failed to follow up a request sent on September 2 to the National Water Regulatory Board (NWRB) for permission to release water from Angat Dam amid forecasts that typhoons were heading toward the Philippines.
Tampingco said that the NWRB replied on September 12 that the release of water was “not necessary” since the water level at that time hovered between 205 and 208 meters. The spilling level begins at 210 meters, he pointed out.
“You should have argued your case, you know your business, you’re the expert,” said Senator Loren Legarda, chairperson of the Senate climate change committee.
“There is no law that says Napocor should seek NWRB (clearance) when lives are already at stake. Where is the law against Napocor’s release of water? I don’t think this is a policy cast in gold or stone. Should that not be your call,” she asked.
“We acted proactively when we wrote the NWRB,” Tampingco asserted.
Weather forecasts
He also explained that decisions made by Napocor on when to release water from dams under its control depended on information given by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).
“Pagasa triggers our actions. We were informed of the coming disturbance on September 2. We cannot release water unless the dam reaches the high reserve level of 210 meters. We had a level still below 210 meters, but we requested NWRB to allow us to release water prior to the arrival of heavy rainfall for better storage buffer,” Tampingco said.
“Unfortunately we did not get (permission) to release. We can release water during emergencies but the water level needs to reach 210 (first). We had to comply, otherwise…,” he trailed off.
“Under which component (in NDRRMC) does the NWRB belong to,” Senator Panfilo Lacson asked, turning to the council’s executive director, Benito Ramos.
“This is the first time I heard of that,” Ramos replied, as a collective hiss sounded during the hearing looking into the performance and needs of the National Disaster Risk and Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC).
Coordination problem
Senator Gregorio Honasan pointed out that the NWRB was currently under the Office of the President based on Executive Order No. 123.
“It was previously under the jurisdiction of the (Department of Public Works and Highways) but it is now chaired by (Department of Environment and Natural Resources) secretary whose agency is part of the (NDRRMC),” Honasan said.
“Obviously there was miscoordination between (NWRB) and Napocor on whether to release the water or not. But 56 people died and there are 39 agencies involved in this council,” Lacson noted with exasperation.
“We have to change the mind-set. We do not need to declare explicitly that there is an emergency before we react and coordination is so important,” Legarda seconded.
Muntinlupa Reprsentative Rodolfo Biazon, head of the House contingent in the oversight committee, came to Napocor’s defense. He said it was possible that the agency hesitated to release water unilaterally since the Angat reservoir was built for both power generation and irrigation.
“What if the water could not be replenished? We should also consider the interrelationship between its decisions and the accuracy of Pagasa’s predictions. Pagasa has to show first that it can make accurate predictions,” he explained.
Sleeping on the job
“We recognize the economics of power generation but we should also examine risk management—the effect of the sudden surge of water on agriculture and the lives of those living near the spillway,” Legarda countered.
“Was Napocor risk-minded when it released the water or was it just thinking of the economics of power and dam operations,” she asked Tampingco.
“We consider the public welfare,” the Napocor official replied.
Lacson pointed out that emergency situations dictate that the agency prioritize the necessity and timing of releasing the water before power generation.
“So, was there failure in the law,” Honasan asked Tampingco. “Or in the coordination mechanics, perhaps? The implementing rules and regulations?”
“Was it a case of miscommunication,” Lacson followed up.
“Or (a case of) sleeping on the job,” Legarda butted in.
“We did not renege on our responsibility,” Tampingco stressed. “During the typhoon, even before the (spilling level) was reached, we took initiatives to release so we would not cause hardship downstream.”
Need to update protocol
After the hearing, the senators took turns hitting the lack of coordination between government agencies, in this case the Napocor and the NWRB, in dealing with the emergency that occurred last week.
“Napocor admitted that it is observing a protocol for the release of water issued in 1987. This no longer applied to the current situation … There is an urgent need to revise and update protocol for release based on power generation and irrigation,” Legarda noted.
“The lack of coordination, of a sense of urgency, that is not written in the law but surely there is common sense. If the NWRB did not answer Napocor’s September 2 letter, why did its officials not call, or text, or pay a personal visit,” she huffed.
Lacson said Napocor should have “made the judgment call to release (the water), make an emergency initiative.”
He added that NDRRMC’s Ramos was also accountable.
“The executive director should be at the helm when the NDRRMC is activated. The executive director, as alter ego of the secretary of the Department of National Defense, can instruct the release,” he explained. With a report from Kristine L. Alave
