Use rainwater to irrigate Bulacan, Pampanga farms — NIA

MALOLOS, Philippines — The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) has advised farmers in Bulacan and Pampanga to use rainwater to irrigate rice fields.

The agency said irrigation water from Angat Dam is not yet available despite occasional heavy rains spawned by the southwest monsoon.

Monitoring from the Bulacan provincial disaster risk reduction and management office showed that the water level in Angat Dam was recorded at 161.46 meters as of 6 a.m. yesterday.

On Friday, the water level was at 161.25 meters.

While the water rose above its critical mark, it was still below the minimum operating level of 180 meters.

Angat Dam supplies 97 percent of potable water needs of Metro Manila residents and the primary source of irrigation of Bulacan and some Pampanga rice fields.

Felix Robles, head of the water control and coordinating unit of Bustos Dam, told The STAR that water from upstream rivers of the dam are being utilized for irrigation purposes.

Ma. Gloria Carillo, provincial agriculturist, said Bulacan has 48,754.30 hectares of rice fields, of which 32,719.30 hectares are irrigated and 16,305 hectares are rain-fed.

Carillo said the NIA has a standing request to the National Water Resources Board for irrigation allocation from Angat Dam.