Magat Dam not sitting on fault, says power firm

RAMON, Isabela, Philippines  – The Magat irrigation and hydropower project here does not sit on any fault and thus poses no major danger to low-lying communities in case of an earthquake that could cause damage to the dam’s multibillion-peso facilities.

This is what SN Aboitiz Power (SNAP), which owns the dam’s power facility, assured residents within the dam’s periphery as well as those in low-lying areas who fear possible flash floods in case of a major damage to the dam as a result of an earthquake.

Lawyer Mike Hosillos, SNAP vice president for corporate communications, said there is no cause for alarm since the former state-run power facility was designed to withstand tremors. 

SNAP, a Norwegian-Filipino consortium, bought the power component of the three-decade-old Magat Dam from the national government in 2008 while its irrigation facility remains under the control of the state-run National Irrigation Administration. 

“Foremost, the dam is not lying on or near a fault. Its location had been carefully studied based on geo-hazard considerations. It is also made of solid rock and earth-fill such that even a strong tremor could not significantly damage it,” Hosillos said. 

Hosillos’ statement came amid a series of tremors hitting the country, including this province, in recent months.   

Built during the Marcos administration, the Magat Dam, once Asia’s biggest irrigation and hydropower facility, lies along the border of this town and Alfonso Lista, Ifugao.

Besides the major source of irrigation for some 80,000 hectares of farmlands here and in parts of Quirino and Cagayan, the dam also generates 350 megawatts of power, making it the second largest power provider among hydro dams in the Luzon grid.