Artificial dam threatens 1,000 families in Pangasinan

UMINGAN, Pangasinan, Philippines  – Some 1,000 families in this town face threats of landslides and mudflows once an artificial dam formed by continuous rains in the Caraballo Mountain overflows.

Mayor Eldred Tumbocon told The STAR yesterday that mountain soil has prevented the water in the artificial dam from cascading down, impounding it some 2.5 kilometers up in the Caraballo, somewhere in Barangay Maseil-seil.

As of yesterday, some 400 families had been evacuated, as local officials feared a spillover once the water reaches the top of the artificial dam.

“Once the soil loosens, there might be massive landslides,” Tumbocon said.

He said the water exits to the Banila River and the barangays of Maseil-seil, Don Montano and Caurdanetaan are threatened.

“The soil might be saturated and this will cause flash floods and mudslides,” he said.

The impending disaster was brought to the attention of the Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council (PDCC), which, together with Army engineers from Camp Tito Abat in Manaoag town and the 71st Infantry Brigade in San Jose City, Nueva Ecija, agreed to conduct a ground survey.

The PDCC has requested a helicopter from the National Disaster Coordinating Council, as the area is unreachable by land.

The survey team will conduct a hydrographic survey to determine the volume of water in the artificial dam and the conditions in the mountain.

Tumbocon said they plan to blast a portion of the mountain to make a canal so the impounded water could be drained gradually.

He said continuous rains were stalling their plan, but added that they would do their best to penetrate the area.

He said this is the first time that such an artificial dam was formed in the mountain and that they foresee massive landslides and mudflows if rains would not stop.

When typhoon “Pepeng” unleashed its fury by dumping heavy rains, aggravated by excess water released by the San Roque Dam in San Manuel town, Tumbocon said his town was among the worst hit, with 12 riverside barangays submerged as the Banila River overflowed.

Gov. Amado Espino Jr. told reporters that a team was set to go to Umingan, as they feared that more water impounded in the artificial dam would create a bigger problem.