PAGASA: Start of rainy season to raise dam water levels, help irrigation

The start of the rainy season may mean a stop to the drop in water levels at Angat Dam in Bulacan and other major dams in Luzon, state weather agency PAGASA said Tuesday.

 

PAGASA forecaster Buddy Javier also said the rain could be a much-needed boon to farmers whose crops had been affected by a prolonged dry season.

 

"'Pag napansin mo, ang pag-ulan, lalo rito sa Bulacan, kahit papaano," he said in an interview with dzBB radio's Carlo Mateo, when asked if the rainy season would end the falling water levels at Angat.

 

Angat, which supplies more than 90 percent of Metro Manila's water needs, had its water level fall to near 170 meters as of Monday.

 

This is below the 180-meter critical level for irrigation water and above the 160-meter critical level for drinking water.

 

Javier also said this would be a boon to farmers by helping irrigate their parched crops.

 

"Mas maganda sana ang pag-ulan natin sa mga area (na apektado) para mas malaking tulong," he said.

 

Earlier, Javier said the basic criteria for declaring the onset of the rainy season for 2015 have been met.

 

He said Tropical Storm Kujira, outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility, is enhancing the southwest monsoon while there has been increased rainfall.

 

All that is left is for the officials concerned to sign the formal declaration on the onset of the rainy season, he said.

 

"Hinihintay natin ang pirma ng director namin. Sa obserba namin, ang rainfall okay na at hangin natin na southwest. 'Yan ang hudyat na rainy season na," he told dzBB.

 

In a separate interview, PAGASA's Jori Loiz said they were informed the criteria had been met as early as Monday night.

 

"Base sa feed sa amin, kagabi nakumpleto ang criteria. Hinihintay na natin ang official declaration," he told dzBB's Melo del Prado.

 

He added the declaration could come out as early as within Tuesday. —Joel Locsin/KG, GMA News