Angat Dam nears spilling level; residents warned vs flooding

MALOLOS, Philippines — The water level in Angat Dam is close to its spilling level, the Bulacan provincial disaster risk reduction and management office (PDRRMO) has alerted the public.

As of 8 a.m. yesterday, the water level in Angat Dam was at 209.50 meters, which is only .50 meters short of its spilling level.

The water level in Ipo and Bustos Dams, whose spilling levels are 100 and 17.50 meters, respectively, were at 100.83 meters and 17.49 meters.

Felicisima Mungcal, PDRRMO head, said they are not aware when Angat dam would release water.

Russel Rigor, operations engineer of the Angat Hydropower Corp., could not be reached for comment when contacted by The STAR.

Bulacan Gov. Wilhelmino Sy Alvarado said he would meet with the National Water Resources Board tomorrow on the schedule of water release.

Water from Angat Dam, which flows toward Bustos Dam, has been noted to aggravate flooding in Calumpit and Hagonoy towns.

Bustos Dam has been releasing water since two weeks ago despite an improvement in the weather. As of 8 a.m. yesterday, water was released at 52 cubic meters per second.

Sixteen barangays in Calumpit and three in Hago-noy remain submerged in floodwater several feet deep.

Monsoon rains

The state weather bureau said no tropical cyclone is expected to affect the country for the remainder of the month.

However, the southwest monsoon would still bring moderate to heavy rains over Ilocos, the Cordilleras, Batanes and Babuyan group of islands today, Meno Mendoza, weather forecaster of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), said.

Fair weather will prevail over the rest of the country, including Metro Manila.

A gale warning was issued over the northern, eastern and western seaboards of Northern Luzon due to strong winds brought by the southwest monsoon.

PAGASA said rough to very rough seas would prevail over these areas, with waves reaching up to 4.5 meters.

Fishermen and operators of small vessels were advised not to venture in areas covered by the gale warning. – Helen Flores