No relief in sight for Central Luzon as dams release water

With desperate residents clinging to trees, the rice-growing provinces of Pampanga and Bulacan on Friday remain submerged as the government continued to release water from major dams in Luzon to create space for the anticipated rainfall from the approaching Typhoon Quiel. The alternative to the flows from the dams now, according to PAGASA and Napocor, could be even greater catastrophe.
Flooded areas are indicated by blue pins. Major dams are indicated by flags.
Click here to view this in a larger map. Authorities said it is necessary to let the water escape to avoid a dam collapse causing rampaging waters to wash away people and houses. Chest-deep floods in Pampanga and Bulacan forced families out of their homes and into evacuation centers that later flooded as well. Those who did not flee were trapped on the roofs of their houses or in trees crying out for rescue. But government is insisting that water must be released continuously from the major dams, mostly in Central Luzon, with two tropical cyclones approaching one after the other less than a week after “Pedring" lashed through Luzon starting last Tuesday. Elmer Caringal, state hydrologist from the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, said it would be best to keep the floodgates of at least six major dams open and let controlled volumes of water gush out so that the facilities can make room to accommodate the rains Typhoon Quiel, and later on Tropical Cyclone Ramon, will dump on Luzon.

Typhoon Quiel hurtles toward northern Luzon Source: PAGASA

Authorities expect Quiel to dump 15 to 25 millimeters per hour of rain when it makes landfall in Cagayan and Isabela in northeastern Luzon this Saturday. "Dahil dito sa parating na bagyong si Typhoon Quiel, medyo asahan natin na dere-deretso pa ang pagpapakawala ng tubig ng mga dam," Caringal said. The six major dams in Luzon are the Ipo and Angat in Norzagaray, Bulacan, the Bustos in Bustos, Bulacan, the San Roque in Pangasinan, the Binga in Itogon, Benguet, the Magat in Isabela, and the Ambuklao in Benguet. "Kapag sinara natin ang mga gates natin at marami ang volume na pumapasok sa dams, ang pinaka-worst scenario na mangyari ay mag-collapse ang mga dam natin. Baka ma-wash out ang mga bahay at taong dadaanan nito," Caringal said. Dennis Gana, corporate communications manager of the National Power Corporation (Napocor) which operates the Angat Dam, warned that keeping too much water in the reservoirs could lead to what he euphemistically called "structural problems."

Seven towns from Angat Lake to the Pampanga River are affected whenever water is released from Angat dam. Source: PAGASA PRFFWC

The Angat dam is a multi-purpose reservoir that provides 97 percent of Metro Manila's water supply, as well as water for irrigation and electricity-generation. Rescue teams Many people from Hagonoy and Calumpit towns in Bulacan were forced to climb rooftops and called for help while hospital patients were evacuated first. Pampanga’s river towns of Apalit, Lubao, and Minalin were also flooded. The flood has isolated Calumpit from the rest of the province, a situation the profiteers readily took advantage of, according to a report on GMA News’ “24 Oras" newscast. Reporter Jun Veneracion said prices of instant noodles shot up from P9 to P12 per pack and those of water from P40 to P145 per five gallon container. "Wala pa pong dumadating na rescue dito," according to a resident interviewed by Veneracion. By Friday afternoon, however, government personnel doing relief operations reached the flooded areas in Bulacan. In a text message to reporters, Philippine National Police spokesperson Agrimero Cruz Jr. said the PNP was able to deploy five rubber boats to Hagonoy. The Armed Forces of the Philippines said it has deployed six other rubber boats. Also sent to the flooded communities were three 6x6 trucks, two 3x4 personnel carriers, and one M35 truck.
Don't blame the dams Napocor's Gana said the water from the dams have little bearing on the flood situation currently plaguing Bulacan and Pampanga. Gana clarified that the massive flooding was caused by rainwater rushing down from the mountains of Nueva Ecija and Pampanga. He said rainwater coming from these two provinces converge within the Pampanga River basin, while the water released from the Angat Dam accounts for only 5 percent of the water in the river basin. Even if Angat Dam did not open its floodgates, affected communities would have suffered the same fate due to the sheer volume of water earlier dumped by Typhoon Pedring, according to Gana. Not climate smart Jose Ma. Lorenzo Tan, chief executive officer of the World Wildlife Fund Philippines, said releasing dam water into "existing rivers along the Bulacan bayshore... is not climate smart." Government instead should build additional floodways and retention basins and set up forest recharge areas, Tan said. "Central Luzon feeds Manila. We cannot ignore this," Tan said. In Isabela, classes in elementary and high school have already been suspended after the province was placed under Storm Signal No. 2. The province remains in a state of calamity in the aftermath of “Pedring." Local officials are closely monitoring water levels in the Cagayan and Dinakawan Rivers, and Magat Dam, which was less than 2 meters from spilling level as of 6 p.m. Friday. The dam continues to discharge water through seven of its floodgates. — VS/HS, GMA News