2 Benguet dams spill water amid downpour

DAGUPAN CITY—Two dams upstream of the Agno River in Benguet province had been releasing water since they raised their spillways over the weekend as moderate to heavy rain poured over the Cordillera region, a dam official said on Monday.

Virgilio Garcia, hydrologist of National Power Corp., said the Binga Dam opened its gate at a height of 2 meters at 4 a.m. on Saturday, while Ambuklao Dam unlocked its own to 1.5 m high at 12 a.m. on Sunday.

Water released from the Ambuklao Dam flows to the Binga Dam, whose excess water is caught downstream by the San Roque Dam in San Manuel, Pangasinan province.

Garcia could not say how long water from the two dams would spill. At 8 a.m. on Monday, Ambuklao’s reservoir was at 751.79 meters above sea level (masl), while Binga was at 574.3 masl.

Ambuklao has a maximum level of 752 masl and Binga, 575 masl. Garcia said water elevation at the San Roque Dam was at 241.13 masl, or 38.87 m below its spilling level of 280.

Water from the San Roque Dam is deposited at a reregulating pond, which the National Irrigation Administration releases for irrigation.

Set to bring rains

On Monday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said the “habagat” (southwest monsoon) was expected to bring rain over provinces in the Ilocos region and Zambales province. It asked residents in these areas to be alert against possible flash floods and landslides.

It was sunny in Bulacan province on Monday, but rain induced by the habagat and those dumped by Typhoon “Falcon” (international name: Chan-Hom) and Tropical Storm “Egay” (Linfa) last week raised to more than 6 m the water elevation in the Angat Dam.

Water level at the Angat reservoir at 1 p.m. on Monday was recorded at 175.1 masl, an improvement to the 169 recorded before the heavy downpour came on July 3.

In Pangasinan, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) said at least seven villages in the towns of Sta. Barbara and Calasiao had been flooded since last week. These are Sonquil and Dalongue in Sta. Barbara, and Talibaew, Banaoang, San Vicente, Longos and Lasip in Calasiao.

Avenix Arenas, PDRRMO spokesperson, said a 15-year-old boy drowned in Barangay Ambuetel in Calasiao on July 10. His death brought to three the total number of fatalities in Pangasinan since Egay and Falcon began dumping rain on July 4.

In Zambales, a man who was reported missing and believed to have drowned last week at the height of monsoon rains was found in Barangay Amungan in Iba town on Sunday afternoon.

Villagers found the body of Rensy Catubay, 18, of Barangay Consuelo Norte of San Marcelino town, along the shoreline, said Julius Abegania Sr., chair of Barangay La Paz village in San Narciso town.

Catubay was reported missing on July 9 while swimming despite bad weather off a public beach in San Narciso. Gabriel Cardinoza, Inquirer Northern Luzon, and Carmela Reyes-Estrope and Allan Macatuno, Inquirer Central Luzon