The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) has adopted a new protocol in preemptive spilling of dams.
NIA administrator Benny Antiporda said the move is to ensure that that rivers downstream would not overflow and would not aggravate the situation especially in flood-prone areas.
“NIA is undertaking preemptive spilling so we will not be be caught by surprise should the volume of water enters our country if this severe tropical storm intensifies," said Antiporda during a press briefing conducted Saturday afternoon, Oct. 29 at the main office of the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC).
Providing updates on the measures undertaken on the dams covered by the agency, Antiporda said a gate in Magat Dam in Cagayan had to be opened by one meter, discharging about 200 cubic meters per second (cms) of water. This drains into Isabela.
However, as severe tropical storm “Paeng” intensified, the NIA-Magat River Intergrated Irrigation System announced that an additional gate had to be opened at 4 p.m. Saturday. Radial Gate 3 was opened at one meter, and released about 170 cms. of water. By 5 p.m. the gate was opened at two meters with a total release of 371 cms.
NIA also opened sluice gates 1 and 2 at Bustos Dam in Bulacan. The sluice gates were opened at 2.5 meters, discharging a total of 112 cms. According to NIA, this was still tolerable since Ipo Dam and Angat Dam have not yet opened their respective gates.
Anitporda also disclosed that the gates of Pantabangan Dam in Nueva Ecija remained closed, and Bulo Dam in Bulacan was still at its normal level.