San Roque Dam spills water due to level rise, bad weather

PANGASINAN: The San Roque dam started releasing water from its two gates since Saturday noon due to bad weather brought by Typhoon Ineng. The National Power Corporation issued a notice of dam discharge operation since the water elevation has reached its spilling level of 280 meters above sea level (masl).

According to Tommy Valdez, San Roque Power Corporations’ vice-president for corporate social responsibility, the water release is considered a precautionary measure to prevent massive flooding and further damages in Pangasinan.

“The water level keeps on increasing. So to balance that or to pre-empt the sudden increase of water level, nag-instruct sila ng release ng tubig [they instructed water release],” Valdez said.

As of Tuesday, around 700 cubic meters of water per second are being released from the dam.

Accordingly, the Agno River system can withstand the amount of water being released from the dam. It is not supposed to trigger floods along the 18 towns and cities traversing Agno River. However, Valdez advised the local disaster units to monitor other river systems in the province.

Meanwhile, the Pangasinan Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office remains on red alert. The office monitored the emergence of flood in towns of Calasiao, Sta. Barbara and Bayambang.

“Kung walang sasalong dam dito, yung mga pag-uulan na nangyayari sa Cordillera region ay babato sa Sinocalan River yun, galing Mt. Ampucao [Without the dam, all the rainwaters in the Cordillera Region will flow from Mt. Ampucao down to Sinocalan River],” Avenix Arenas, PDRRMO spokesperson said.

Because of flood, 10 barangays [village] in Calasiao towns are flooded. Some roads are impassable.

SEE THE COMPLETE VIDEO DETAILS (BALITA PILIPINAS NGAYON, GMANEWSTV)

Residents are advised to take precautionary measures, like pre-emptive evacuation if need be. Water search and rescue teams and equipment are readily available.

Meanwhile, some students brace the flooded areas just to attend class. #

Dry spell affects Malasiqui farmers in Pangasinan

Dry spell continues to affect hundreds of farmers in Malasiqui town in Pangasinan.

Rain-fed dependent farmers fear that their farm lands will suffer for lack of water irrigation.

Jimmy Cariño, a farmer, now uses water pump to save his farm lands from drying up. Withered rice fields are already evident.

“Our farms are already affected. Farm lands have dried up. If these lands will not be irrigated, all our crops will be wasted,” he said.

Soil cracks are common in the area due to El Niño phenomenon.

He hopes the effect of the monsoon rain will somehow benefit their farm lands.

“If there is a typhoon, definitely there is rain. We just want the rain, not the wind,” he added.

Even those who planted hybrid seeds felt the effect of drought.

Carlito Gante, a hybrid seed provider, observes the massive effect of the dry spell in Western Pangasinan, particularly in the agricultural areas of Burgos and Dasol towns.

“Rain water is not enough. Even though we had monsoon rains and typhoons the past month, the effect of El Niño is massively unexpected,” Gante said.

Earlier this May, PAGASA anticipated the effect of dry spell in the country.

In Malasiqui town, there are more than 7,000 farmers. More than 6,000 hectares are intended for palay production. Province-wide, around 180,000 hectares are agricultural lands.

According to Jovelito Alamar, municipal agriculturist, around 3,500 hectares of rice farms are affected by the dry spell. However, agricultural areas covered by the National Irrigation Administration are exempted are able to survive.

“About 3,500 hectares are affected, mostly from rain-fed dependent areas. Water from communal irrigation is not enough,” Alamar said.

Moreover, about 1,400 hectares of farms lands in the province are also affected by various pests such as army worms, rice blasts, and bacterial leaf blight.

According to Dalisay Moya, provincial agriculturist, various pests occur due to the effect of dry spell. However, if these plants are growing in their early stages, rice farms can still survive. Farmers are advised to use insecticides. 

SEE VIDEO DETAILS HERE (Balita Pilipinas Ngayon, GMA News TV):

According to the provincial agriculture office, less than 50% of the entire Pangasinan agricultural land is affected by drought. 

Farmer groups have already convened for possible interventions. They are asking for more water pumps to be leased for farmers, as some do not have their own water facilities. They have also requested for possible cloud seeding, a form of weather modification intended to increase precipitation.#