Gov’t mulls creation of ‘dam authority’

The Aquino administration is considering creating an agency that would be in charge of the operation of dams all over the country, particularly during typhoon seasons. During Monday's Senate climate change committee hearing, Science Undersecretary Graciano Yumul Jr. said Malacañang has called an emergency Cabinet meeting to discuss the operation of dams. "The agenda would be the possible creation of the Dam Authority," he said as he explained that in the United States, there is one authority in charge of deciding when the dams can release water. "Somebody has to make that call," Yumul added. In a hearing earlier in the day, National Power Corporation (Napocor) President Froilan Tampinco blamed the National Water Resources Board (NWRB) for not allowing them to release water from the Angat Dam, which he said could have prevented heavy flooding in Bulacan during the onslaught of Typhoon Pedring last week. He said they can only release water from the Angat Dam on their own if it is above the spilling level of 210 meters, which the dam had not reached yet during the time they made the request to the NWRB. Napocor also oversees the operations of the San Roque (Pangasinan), Binga-Ambuklao (Benguet), and Caliraya (Laguna) dams. In a subsequent hearing, National Irrigation Authority (NIA) administrator Antonio Nangel said they released water from the Magat Dam in Isabela two days before Pedring began to ravage the country even without permission from the NWRB. NIA also oversees the operations of the Pantabangan (Nueva Ecija) dam. On the other hand, the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) is in charge of the Ipo and La Mesa dams, although the La Mesa Dam automatically discharges water when it is above spilling level. Senator Loren Legarda, however, suggested that the Office of the civil Defense take charge of the said function. "There should be one point person (but) the OCD can do that, I don't think there is a need for a law," she said during the same hearing. The Senate hearing was ongoing as of posting time. - KBK, GMA News