CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Philippines鈥擮fficials of the National Power Corp. (NPC) have allayed fears of a breakout of Angat Dam in Bulacan province, saying the facility has no crack and is resistant to damage from earthquakes.
鈥淭he dam has no crack,鈥� the NPC said in a statement on Friday.
It cited the status that engineer Manny Monteverde, a member of the agency鈥檚 dams, reservoirs and waterways division, shared with personnel of local disaster risk reduction and management councils, planning officers and social workers involved in an information campaign by the NPC.
Monteverde also told them that rock-fill types of dams, such as Angat, have 鈥渋nherent elasticity and self-healing characteristic.鈥�
Engineer Russel Rigor of the NPC鈥檚 flood forecasting and warning system division said water was released from Angat Dam to avoid overflow, which might cause dam failure.
He said severe flooding in Calumpit, Paombong and Hagonoy towns could not entirely be blamed on the spilling of Angat Dam. These towns are part of the catch basin since these are located downstream of Pampanga River, which originates from Nueva Ecija province and drains out to Manila Bay, he said.
Dr. Ramon Quebral, a geologist from Engineering and Development Corp. of the Philippines, said the impact of the West Valley Fault on Angat Dam must be verified further.
Gladys Cruz-Sta. Rita, NPC president, urged the participants to advise the people 鈥渘ot to give in to fear and not to abandon caution.鈥�
The NPC, she said, supports the appeal of local officials to retrofit the dam.
The Angat hydroelectric power plant will be turned over to Korea Water Resources Corp. The strengthening of the dam, Sta. Rita said, is indicated in the terms of reference in the privatization agreement with the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp.
The NPC, she said, will continue to operate the dam and its spillways.
In December last year, some 12,000 students in Bulacan joined a drill using a scenario of a dam breakout. Tonette Orejas, Inquirer Central Luzon