The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration advised residents from three towns in Bulacan to be on alert for the scheduled release of water from the Angat Dam Sunday afternoon.

Gene Nievares of the PAGASA Hydro-meteorological Division said Angat Dam is expected to start releasing stored water at 4 p.m. Sunday, because water in the dam already reached 215.10 meters – way above the normal high water level of 210 meters.

She added, however, that the release of the water from the dam will only be “very minimal” since no weather disturbance is expected to [directly] hit Central Luzon in the coming days.

“Wala namang parating na bagyo sa area, so sa ngayon, kaunti lang ang idi-discharge. Kaya pa naman itong i-accommodate ng Angat River,” she said in a phone interview.

Nievares still advised residents from Norzagaray, Hagonoy and Calumpit to be on alert for potential effects of the water release from the dam.

“Pinakamaaapektuhan po nito iyong mga nakatira malapit sa ilog sa Norzagaray. ‘Yung mga taga-Hagonoy at Calumpit, wala na sigurong effect dahil may traveling period pa ang tubig na six to nine hours, but we still advise residents to be on alert,” she said.

These three Bulacan towns are still reeling from effects of the southwest monsoon, which dumped record rainfall over Metro Manila and other parts of Luzon last week.

In its 11 a.m. advisory, PAGASA said an active low-pressure area (ALPA) will bring scattered rain showers and thunderstorms over Bicol, Visayas and Mindanao.

But the rain will become widespread, moderate to heavy (5 to 15 mm per hr) over Samar, Catanduanes, Camarines, Surigao and Davao Oriental "which may trigger flash floods and landslides." — LBG, GMA News