Central Luzon farms need 2 typhoons for irrigation

PEÑARANDA, Nueva Ecija, Philippines – The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) is praying for two more typhoons in Central Luzon in order to fill the reservoir of the Pantabangan Dam and irrigate some 39,000 hectares of agricultural land.

Reynaldo Puno, operations manager of the NIA’s Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation Systems, said rainwater generated by typhoons does not only raise the dam’s level, but enables the UPRIIS to withhold the released water.

Puno said a typhoon normally generates five to six meters of rainwater.

Earlier, he said of the region’s 114,000 hectares of farmlands, only 75,000 hectares were programmed for irrigation during the dry season, which is from November to April.

Puno cited the low water level of the Pantabangan Dam for the limited irrigation service.

As of Thursday last week, the water level was 191.91 meters, way above the critical level of 172 meters, but is still below the spilling level of 221 meters.

“At 191.91 meters, the areas we can irrigate will be reduced by 39,000 hectares because of El Niño. We need 210 meters to be able to cover the whole service area,” he said.

He said this month and the next, NIA would stop releasing water from the Pantabangan Dam.

“If ever we release, it would only be minimal,” he said.

Normally, the agency does not release water during November, as this is harvest season.