Death, disaster blamed on dams

MANILA, Philippines - The unannounced release of water from dams at the height of tropical storm “Ondoy” may have caused the massive flooding that killed close to 300 people in Metro Manila and nearby provinces, according to some survivors.

“I think that what happened was not an act of God. I believe it was man-made and nothing else,” said PO3 Rommel Habig, a senior investigator at the Malabon City police station and resident of flood-prone Barangay Tonsuya in Malabon.

“The men behind the release of water in the dams in Bulacan should take responsibility for what happened to us,” he said. “The authorities should seriously look into this.”

The Angat Dam in Bulacan released water last Saturday but authorities denied that it was the cause of the massive flooding.

Habig’s house was completely submerged in muddy floodwaters for two days over the weekend. He said that had the dam operators been more sensitive and responsible, the deaths and destruction would have been negligible.

“There would have been enough time for the people to do what was necessary, if only they made an announcement earlier that the spillways would be opened,” he said.

“There was still electricity then. There were news flashes on TV and they could have disseminated the information over radio,” Habig said in Filipino.

“They issued an advisory only after the flashflood,” he claimed.

Habig’s neighbors said his allegation may have basis.

“It might be true but of course we need strong evidence,” a neighbor who declined to be named said.

“We hope somebody will come forward and speak about what really happened so that we will know who can be held accountable,” he said.

Easing pressure

Meanwhile, for the second time in three days, Angat Dam in Norzagaray, Bulacan released water on Tuesday as threats of another tropical storm loom.

Russel Rigor of the flood forecasting division of the National Power Corp., which manages the Angat Dam, said they would have to lower the dam’s water elevation to 210 meters to accommodate more rainfall from typhoon “Pepeng.” As of yesterday morning, the dam’s water elevation was at 213.69 meters.

Rodolfo German, general manger of the Angat Hydro Electric Power Plant of Napocor, said the dam can hold water up to 216 meters.

German also clarified that water release from Angat Dam would only affect towns along the 50-kilometer Angat River.

These are Norzagaray, Angat, Bustos, San Rafael, Baliuag, Pulilan, Plaridel, Calumpit, Paombong and Hagonoy.

He also belied reports that water from Angat Dam caused the flashfloods that ravaged and killed a number of people in Meycauayan City, Marilao, Bocaue and Sta. Maria on Saturday.

In the nearby Ipo Dam, water elevation on Tuesday reached 100.75 meters, or slightly above the spilling level of 100 meters.

A large volume of water in Ipo Dam usually comes from the Angat Dam.

The Pantabangan Dam in Nueva Ecija also opened its gates after its water level neared the spillway level of 221 meters.

Pantabangan provides irrigation to 102,000 hectares of agricultural lands in Central Luzon.

Living Jones Gacutan, officer-in-charge of the National Irrigation Authority’s dam safety and flood forecasting group, said the dam’s reservoir reached 219.83 meters, the highest recorded since 1978.

“This is the highest elevation we have recorded in 31 years,” he said.

Officials of the Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigations System said they had to release water at the rate of 130 cubic meters per second in anticipation of more typhoons approaching.

“When water volume at the reservoir becomes so massive, we have to release water, otherwise the reservoir might burst and it would be more disastrous,” NIA administrator Carlos Salazar said.

He said they always coordinate with the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).

The World Bank-funded Pantabangan Dam was constructed in 1975.

In 1978, NIA was forced to open the spillway when super typhoon “Kading” pounded Luzon and left a trail of destruction in southern Nueva Ecija and Bulacan.           – With Manny Galvez, Dino Balabo