Magat Dam not designed for flood control, says NIA

The Magat Dam was not designed for flood control, the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) said after massive floods in the Cagayan Valley region were blamed on the discharge of water from the reservoir. 

Reading from the Magat Dam's operations manual, NIA Administrator Ricardo Visaya said Tuesday "[i]t is emphasized that there is no provision for the storage of floodwater in the Magat reservoir unless the reservoir is below the full supply level of 193 (meters) when the flood arrives."

He made the statement at a House hearing in response to a question from Marikina Representative Stella Quimbo, who said she had found the dam's functions included flood control, alongside irrigation and power generation. 

Saying flood control is inconsistent with energy and water supply purposes, Quimbo asked how the NIA distributes the Magat Dam's carrying capacity among its three supposed objectives. 

But Visaya, citing information that he said was from an engineer from the University of the Philippines, said the dam was built to irrigate an area encompassing 85,000 hectares. 

"Wala pong function 'yan flood ng control. It's only for irrigation," he said. 

Even so, the dam operators try to ensure the dam "absorbs" some of the floodwaters, he said. 

"'Yung Magat Dam natin, kahit walang flood control function, we are trying our best na maka-mitigate pa ng baha. That's part of our protocol nga eh, kaya 'yung mga nire-release po na tubig ng Magat will be lower than the inflow. Kasi kung inflow is equal to outflow, talagang dire-diretso 'yun. Mas delikado po 'yun," Visaya said. 

Earlier in the hearing, Visaya claimed that the release of waters from the Magat Dam was not the main cause of flooding in the Cagayan Valley region when Typhoon Ulysses barreled through Luzon some two weeks ago. 

He said the flood could have been prevented had there been a better implementation of anti-illegal logging, mining and quarrying measures. 

Visaya also said the dam gates had to be opened amid heavy rains to prevent the dam from breaking. 

The effects of Typhoon Ulysses killed 73 people, injured 69 others injured, and affected more than 4 million individuals or 995,476 families families, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

President Rodrigo Duterte placed Luzon under a state of calamity following the onslaught of typhoons Rolly and Ulysses. —KG, GMA News