By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA — Thousands of rice growers in Bulacan and Pampanga are facing an uncertain start to the wet-season planting cycle after water stored in Angat Dam fell to levels insufficient for full irrigation operations.
The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) said farmers dependent on the Angat-Maasim River Irrigation System may have to postpone planting until August, as reservoir conditions remain below the level required for normal water releases.
According to NIA officials, irrigation deliveries originally expected to begin in mid-July cannot proceed unless Angat Dam recovers significantly in the coming weeks.
Enrique Carlos, manager of the NIA Irrigation Management Office in Bulacan, explained that the reservoir must reach an elevation of 185 meters above sea level (masl) before the agency can provide the standard 32 cubic meters per second (cms) of irrigation water needed by about 22,000 farmers cultivating more than 27,000 hectares of rice fields across 17 municipalities in Bulacan and four towns in Pampanga.
With the reservoir hovering around the 160-masl critical threshold, only a limited water discharge of roughly 10 cms would be possible—far below what is required to sustain large-scale rice production.
Carlos said farmers may have no choice but to depend on rainfall and natural river flows until reservoir conditions improve.
The prolonged absence of widespread heavy rains has accelerated the decline in Angat Dam’s water storage, despite the official onset of the rainy season. Weather conditions have remained insufficient to replenish the country’s primary reservoir for Metro Manila and neighboring agricultural areas.
The irrigation official noted that similar water shortages were experienced during previous El Niño episodes but said the effects of climate variability are now becoming increasingly evident, making reservoir management more challenging.
Monitoring data showed Angat Dam reached more than 213 masl late last year before steadily declining over the succeeding months. The sharp reduction in water elevation accelerated during the summer season as inflows weakened while water demand remained high.
Although recent rains over Norzagaray and the surrounding mountain watershed slightly lifted the reservoir above the 160-masl critical mark, NIA officials said substantially heavier and more consistent rainfall will be needed before normal irrigation operations can resume.
Until then, farmers across parts of Bulacan and Pampanga remain in a waiting game, hoping that improving weather conditions will provide enough water to begin this year’s wet-season rice production.
ia/xf
