Release of water from San Roque by NPC dam heightens flooding fears

As water elevation at the San Roque dam is still above the normal level, state-run National Power Corporation (NPC) opted to undertake water spilling operations, but have heightened flooding fears among affected communities.

One barangay – San Vicente in San Manuel town, which is close to the foot of the San Roque dam complained to the media that the increased flood levels at Agno River could overflow into their community; and was trying to raise the matter with NPC.

However, there had been no contact point that they can get to with NPC – and this made them even more anxious because of the lack of pre-emptive measures on such kind of strike of disasters; and it shows the very inefficient disaster response coordination and management of the government.

NPC on Wednesday indicated to media that it continues “water spilling operations at San Roque dam in Pangasinan with water outflow of 785 cubic meters per second (cms) to further bring the water level into its normal high-water level of 280 meters above sea level (masl).”

Engineer Conrado Sison, head of NPC dams management department, noted that the current level of the dam as of 10am on Wednesday (August 15), was at 285.61 masl, prompting the staterun firm then to continue monitoring “the inflow and outflow of water in the dam,” along with San Roque Power Corporation.

The company added it has been coordinating with the Pangasinan Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office for timely advisories with the community. However, when one host community was literally crying for immediate help, it had fallen into the government run firm’s deaf ears.

Instead of sending team to countercheck the community’s concern, NPC said that it opted to hear it from the provincial government office first – which is five hours away by travel from the affected community.