By Michelle Ducut
The San Roque Dam in San Manuel, Pangasinan opened one of its gates at a 0.5-meter opening at noon on Monday, releasing water at a rate of 63 cubic meters per second. This release, described as a precautionary measure, is in anticipation of the expected heavy inflow due to Typhoon Nika (international name Toraji).
According to Teresa Serra, flood operation manager of the National Power Corporation-San Roque Dam Office, the pre-release of water is aimed at lowering the reservoir’s elevation. The total discharge from the dam, which includes turbine discharges used to generate power, is estimated at around 200 to 230 cubic meters per second, flowing into the Agno River and its tributaries. This is well within the river’s capacity, which can hold up to 1,400 cubic meters per second, thereby posing no flooding risk.
“The water release is minimal. The rivers can hold it and would not cause flooding,” Serra explained.
Vincent Chiu, head of operations and training at the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), noted that the water inflow into the dam is primarily expected from the mountainous areas near Binga and Ambuklao dams. He added that Pangasinan’s river systems remain below normal levels, making the release unlikely to lead to flooding.
The dam’s water level was recorded at 278.07 meters above sea level as of 8 a.m., below the normal high level of 280 meters.
The province has raised its alert status to red, with teams from the PDRRMO, the Army, and the police on standby in case of rescue or emergency operations. Preemptive evacuations have also been advised in high-risk areas, especially the 14 localities where a storm surge advisory has been issued. The northeastern parts of Pangasinan remain under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 2, with the rest of the province under Signal No. 1.
In addition to San Roque Dam’s measures, the National Irrigation Administration-Magat River Integrated Irrigation System Dam and Reservoir Division announced that one of Magat Dam’s gates would open at 4 p.m. on Monday. Gate 4 will open to a height of 1 meter, releasing approximately 130 cubic meters per second. The Magat Dam water level stood at 181.95 meters as of 8 a.m., well below its normal high level of 190 meters.