This, the several areas continue to experience heavy rainfall due to the Southwest Monsoon (Habagat).
On Wednesday, August 19, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered round-the-clock monitoring of Magat Dam in Isabela and Pantabangan Dam in Nueva Ecija to ensure the safety, structural integrity and reliable operations.
The National Irrigation Administration (NIA), led by Administrator Eduardo Guillen, reported that Magat Dam’s water level stood at 178.27 meters above sea level (masl), with its normal high water level being 190 masl.
Meanwhile, Pantabangan Dam registered 187.72 masl, with its normal high water legal being 216 masl.
The agency noted that no spillway gates were open at either dam and that no spillway discharge had been recorded.
The NIA said Magat Dam has the capacity to irrigate about 90,000 hectares, while Pantabangan Dam can provide irrigation to around 100,000 hectares.
“Makakaasa naman ang taumbayan na ongoing ang pag-monitor ng NIA sa water level ng mga dam sa kabila ng sunod-sunod na pag-ulan,” Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said on Monday.
Prior to this, on Tuesday, the NIA said that the heavy rains helped replenished water reserves in major dams and sustain irrigation in rice-producing areas.
“Sa pangkalahatan, naging kapaki-pakinabang sa sektor ng irigasyon at agrikultura ang mga pag-ulan dahil nakatutulong ang mga ito sa muling pagpuno ng ating mga dam at reservoir,” Castro quoted NIA’s statement.
The additional water reserves can support continued irrigation of farms in the coming months and added that the water supply generated will is also help crops in Isabela and Cagayan recover from the effects of El Niño.
“So, nakabawi rin po iyong mga pananim na inabutan ng El Niño, kagaya ng mga nasa Isabela at Cagayan,” Castro said.
NIA’s initial monitoring showed no widespread damage to rice crops, with most plants still in the vegetative stage and less vulnerable to prolonged rain than during flowering and grain formation.
NIA is also coordinating with irrigators’ associations and other concerned agencies to ensure a timely response and safe management of the country’s water resources.
Castro also said the water accumulated in Magat and Pantabangan dams is equivalent to about 950,000 metric tons of rice production valued at PHP25 billion.
