Authorities have started conducting cloud seeding operations over the Angat watershed in Bulacan to help increase the water level in Angat Dam, which is the major source of water supply for Metro Manila, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said on Tuesday, March 22.

PAGASA Administrator Vicente Malano said cloud seeding activities started on Monday, March 21, due to the lower-than-normal level of water in Angat Dam.

“Kahapon nagkaroon tayo ng cloud seeding dito sa Angat river basin area dahil nakikita natin na may mga pagkukulang na ng tubig at ito ay isa sa mga ginagawa natin na plano para maibsan yung epekto ng pagkukulang ng tubig (Yesterday we had cloud seeding in the Angat river basin area because we see that there are already water shortages and this is one of the plans we are doing to alleviate the impact of water shortages),” Malano said in a forum organized by PAGASA.

“Ang pag-uulan ngayon ay nasa southern part . Dito sa northern part ng Philippines ay medyo kulang tayo ng tubig (The rains now are concentrated in the southern part of the country. But here in the northern part of the Philippines, we have a bit of lack of rainfall),” he said.

Based on the PAGASA’s monitoring as of 6 a.m., Tuesday, Angat’s water level was at 192.94 meters, which is significantly lower than the dam’s 212-m normal high water level.

Meanwhile, PAGASA hydrologist Richard Orendain noted that the Angat watershed had received light rains from January up to now that helped delay the continuous decline of water level in Angat Dam.

“Hindi man niya nai-equalize yung outflow niya pero nade-delay niya yung pag-abot niya sa low-level na 180 meters. Dati nag-forecast tayo na pagdating ng katapusan ng March or April ay aabot na siya ng 180 meters pero sa ngayon medyo nagbago na (It may not equalize the outflow, but it delays the dam from reaching its low-level of 180 meters. We previously forecast that by the end of March or April, Angat will reach 180 meters but now the forecast has slightly changed),” Orendain said.

“Expect natin na ang reservoir water level given the forecast rainfall magiging 182 meters at the end of April. So mababa na siya sa rule curve na 186.4 meters (We expect the reservoir water level, given the forecast rainfall of 67.1 millimeters, will be 182 meters at the end of April. So it is below the rule curve of 186.4 meters),” he pointed out.

However, Orendain noted that the water level in Angat Dam may further dip to 173-175 meters by May.

“So medyo malayo pa ito sa July na inaasahan natin na recovery period (July is still too far away, which is the dam’s expected recovery period),” he said.

“If ever po na June-July, ito yung sinasabi natin na makakarecover ang ating watersheds at this time of the year, so medyo below normal at mataas ang probability of having below normal pagdating ng July ay medyo baka bumagal yung pag-recover ng ating watershed area yan ay base sa recent condition sa latest forecast natin (From June to July, we say that watersheds will recover at this time of the year. But the probability of having below normal rainfall is high this July. This may cause the recovery of our watershed area to slow down, based on the recent conditions in our latest forecast),” PAGASA’s Climate Monitoring and Prediction Section chief Ana Liza Solis said.

Orendain said that there remains the possibility of water shortage because of the PAGASA’s below-normal rainfall forecast by July, which is normally the peak of southwest monsoon or rainy season.

“Mababa pa nga yung tsansa na magkaroon ng malalakas na pag-ulan within the watershed because based on forecast ay below normal pa rin yung rainfall forecast ng Angat Dam watershed (The chance of having heavy rains within the watershed is even lower because based on the forecast, the rainfall forecast of the Angat Dam watershed is still below normal),” he said.

PAGASA stressed the need to conserve water to avert possible water shortage during the dry months.