Pangasinan forcibly evacuates villages

BAYAMBANG, Pangasinan: More than 100,000.00 residents in the low-lying barangay (villages) of 17 municipalities here were forcibly brought to various evacuation centers after the San Roque Multipurpose Dam opened its four gates and released water starting at 6 p.m. on Saturday.

This was after Gov. Amado

Espino 3rd directed the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and

Management Council (PDRRMC) to deploy rescue trucks to eastern

Pangasinan for forced evacuation of those along the Agno River and its tributaries, with the sudden rise of the water in the San Roque

Dam because of the intense rains dumped by Typhoon “Ompong.”

Espino also tapped the police, the Philippine Army, the local governments along the Agno River and private individuals to help augment rescue equipment and manpower.

Floods heavily affected the municipalities of Bayambang, San Manuel, San Nicolas, Tayug, Sta. Maria, Rosales, Villasis, Sto. Tomas, Alcala, Bautista, Urbiztondo, Basista, Lingayen, Mangatarem, Aguilar, Bugallon, Labrador and Sual.

At 5 p.m. of Saturday, the National Power Corp. ( NPC), released a statement on the discharge of water from the San Roque Dam as it cautioned people in areas along the Agno River to take necessary measures to prevent accidents.

“With the continuous rainfall, the rise of the water level in the San Roque Dam will require us to release water,” the San Roque Power Corp. (SRPC) said in its public advisory.

By 6 p.m. on Saturday, the SRPC had opened four gates by .5M with

cubic meters per second (cms).

The SRPC advisory noted that the outflow would be adjusted depending on the amount of in

maintain the reservoir elevation at a safe level.

However, according to provincial

disaster chief Rhodyn Luchinvar Oro, the NPC had assured the provincial government that the water level would eventually go down, as

was steadily decreasing.

More than 500,000 hectares of land with ready-harvest palay would be destroyed if the release of water from the dam continued for the next three days, the municipal agriculturist said.

Mangatarem Mayor Ramil Ventenilla confirmed that the river

He added that more than 12,000 hectares of farmland were under four to 15 feet of water.

In Bayambang, the municipal agriculturist told newsmen that more than 2,000 hectares with palay and vegetables under three to 12 meters of water.

In Bautista, Mayor Amadeo

Espino, said that more than 210 hectares had been affected by

In Alcala town, the farmers said they would not be able to harvest their palay.

Earlier, at least 8,000 families or some

and three cities in Pangasinan were ad

But as of 12 noon of Sunday, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Manage

Estimated agricultural damage that includes more than 21,000 hectares of newly planted and ready-to-harvest palay, bangus, tilapia, shrimps, lapulapu, and others would be about P100 million, the governor said.

As of 12 noon on Sunday, the provincial police office under Senior Supt. Wilson Joseph Lopez reported that a house owned by Tomas and Maria in Brgy. Asan Sur in Sison town was destroyed by strong winds and rain.

In Dagupan City, more than 3,000 families with more than

- gays of Pantal, Poblacion Oeste, Tapuac, Brgys. 2 and 3 were evacuated to six public schools.

to the municipal hall while more - ated in Bolinao town.

Other municipalities with evacuees were Calasiao town with 130 families; San Fabian, 221; Alaminos -

- - 52 families.