CABANATUAN CITY – Pantabangan Dam is far from its spilling level and still needs to store more water, the National Irrigation Administration-Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation System (NIA-UPRIIS) said on Sunday, November 1.
Based on the data released by NIA-UPRIIS, as of 6 a.m., Sunday, the dam’s water elevation was at 195.40 meters, which was still 25.6 meters below its spilling level of 221 meters.
Tropical cyclones “Pepito” and “Quinta" contributed only about four meters to Pantabangan Dam’s water elevation.
NIA-UPRIIS department manager, Engr. Rosalinda Bote, earlier said Pantabangan Dam needed to reach a water level of 214 meters to irrigate its total covered area of 140,000 hectares for the dry season.
It can be recalled that several road sections in this province were rendered impassable by flood water during the height of Typhoon Quinta last month.
Bote said this might be due to water cascading from the upstream town of Gabaldon and Digmala River in Bongabon.
“Huwag po kayong mabahala. Ang aming tanggapan ay magpapalabas ng kaukulang impormasyon o opisyal na pabatid anim na oras bago ang pagpapakawala (if needed) mula sa Pantabangan (Don't worry. Our office will release the relevant information or official notice six hours prior to release from Pantabangan)," their announcement read.