Dam water release to be gradual, measured

MANILA, Philippines —  As Severe Tropical Storm Kristine moved to Northern Luzon yesterday after inundating large parts of the Bicol region, the National Power Corp. (Napocor) started releasing dam water while assuring the public the procedure would be controlled to avoid flooding in downstream communities.

Napocor flood operation manager Maria Teresa Sierra said the dams operated by the state-run power generator started releasing water even before the arrival of Kristine in northern Luzon to make sure the water released won’t trigger or exacerbate flooding.

“The releases being done are very controlled and will definitely not cause flooding in our downstream communities,” Sierra said at a press briefing yesterday at Malacañang.

Napocor, which provides missionary electrification to off-grid areas, manages major dams in Luzon, including the Ambuklao Dam and the Binga Dam in Benguet, San Roque Dam in Pangasinan, Angat Dam in Bulacan, and the Caliraya Dam in Laguna.

During his visit to areas hit by Super Typhoon Carina in July, President Marcos instructed concerned agencies to address the “weakness” in communication, particularly in alerting local governments to releasing of excess dam water.

On Wednesday, Marcos urged dam operators in Luzon to gradually release water ahead of the expected heavy rains as any bulk release of excess water could swamp downstream communities.

Sierra said protocols on the release of dam water have been amended to make them compliant with the President’s directive.

“Prior to our amendment, we thought it was enough that we should have sufficient time, lead time to warn the public so it was previously around four hours. But, right now, we have amended our protocol , we issue notice on the preparatory phase for the dam discharge warning operation or spilling operation, at least 24 hours, we inform the LGUs (local government units),” she said.

“We can (give an) assurance to the downstream communities that our past experiences with the dams, we have learned a lot of lessons from them,” she added.

Sierra explained that each dam has its own purpose, citing the Angat Dam, which maintains a certain water elevation enough to provide Metro Manila with sufficient water supply and meet the irrigation requirements of Bulacan and Pampanga. She said Napocor’s primary challenge is climate change, which has made weather patterns unpredictable.

“We need also to amend our protocols and adjust to accommodate changes... As much as possible, we would like to assure the communities that the (water releases would be) minimized, unless we will be experiencing really heavy rains, that we have no other choice but to release a huge amount (of water) to ensure the safety of our dams,” the Napocor official said.

Dam gates open

Yesterday at 8 a.m., Ipo Dam in Bulacan released water at 47.90 cubic meter per second (cms) after water level reached 100.79 meters or near the normal high level of 101.1 meters.

By 11 a.m., it started releasing 45.60 cms of water to downstream river system and to Bustos Dam, which absorbed 137.40 cms of local water inflow from the upper river system, according Josephine Salazar, director of the National Irrigation Administration in Central Luzon.

One gate of Ambuklao Dam in Benguet also released water at 73.77 cms after water level reached 749.20 meters or 2.8 meters shy of the normal high level of 752 meters.

Meanwhile, two gates of Binga Dam in Benguet released water at 116.44 cms and 111.99 cms, respectively, as elevation reached 570.83 meters as against the normal high level of 575 meters.

One gate of San Roque Dam in Pangasinan also began releasing water at 53.90 cms meters when water level reached 275.79 meters, compared to its normal high water level of 280 meters.

La Mesa Dam in Quezon City reached 79.66 meters or just 0.49 meter below its spilling level of 80.15 meters.

The water level of Angat Dam increased by 0.82 meter, reaching 198.45 meters or 11.55 meters below its normal high water elevation of 210 meters.

Water level in Pantabangan Dam in Nueva Ecija reached 205.3 meters or 15.38 meters below its normal high water level of 221 meters.

Water level of Caliraya Dam in Laguna dropped by 0.31 to 286.80 meters from the previous level of 287.11 meters.

Meanwhile, power interruptions hit several Manila Electric Co. franchise areas in Rizal, Quezon, Batangas, Bulacan and Metro Manila, affecting some 397,000 customers.

“Rest assured that we are closely monitoring the situation and our crews are working non-stop to restore service as soon as possible. Again, we urge everyone to prioritize safety and take necessary precautions during this time,” Meralco spokesman Joe Zaldarriaga said.

To report power outages and other concerns, customers may send a message to Meralco at 09209716211 and 09175516211 or call the Meralco hotline at 16211 and 8631-1111.

The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP), meanwhile, reported that nine transmission lines in Luzon and the Visayas were still unavailable as of 1 p.m. yesterday.

“The NGCP has mobilized its line crews and is currently conducting patrols. Simultaneous restoration activities are also being conducted in areas already accessible,” it said.

Earlier, the National Electrification Administration said nearly one million power connections served by 86 electric cooperatives were affected by Kristine’s onslaught. This covers power consumers from 52 provinces and 12 regions. - Bella Cariaso, Ramon Efren Lazaro, Brix Lelis