NIA banks on rains as Angat Dam level dips further

SAN RAFAEL, BULACAN, Philippines — The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) has put contingency measures in place to help farmers cope with dwindling irrigation water this wet cropping season as the water level at Angat Dam continues to fall, but officials said only sustained heavy rains or a strong typhoon can provide a lasting solution.

Engineer Christian Manalo, NIA Region 3 director, said Monday that shallow tube well (STW) pumps installed near creeks and irrigation canals are available to augment water supply for farmers in Bulacan and Pampanga who rely on Angat Dam. However, he acknowledged that the facilities are insufficient to meet irrigation requirements for the entire wet cropping season.

“What our farmers really need is abundant rainfall. Strong rains—or even one strong typhoon—would be enough for Angat Dam to recover from its current depleted level,” Manalo told the Inquirer.

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READ: Angat Dam level falls further below critical mark as Bavi nears PAR

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He explained that Angat Dam’s water elevation must reach at least 185 meters above sea level before the NIA can release water through Bustos Dam, which it operates to irrigate nearly 27,000 hectares of farmland cultivated by more than 22,000 farmers in 17 towns in Bulacan and four towns in Pampanga.

Bustos Dam receives water released from Angat Dam. Without those releases, irrigation water cannot reach farms served by the Bustos irrigation system.

As of Tuesday, Angat Dam’s water level had dropped further to 157.68 masl, well below the 160.00-masl low critical level.

READ: Another storm headed for PH, but Angat Dam water still low

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The reservoir briefly recovered to 160.34 masl on July 2 following rains over the Sierra Madre watershed in Norzagaray, Bulacan, but fell back to 160.00 masl on July 3 and continued declining to 159.57 masl on July 4 before reaching its current level.

Desilting

Manalo said the NIA is also accelerating the rehabilitation and desilting of irrigation canals and dikes, particularly in remote service areas, to maximize the limited water available.

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He admitted that if Angat Dam remains critically low, farmers will have to rely largely on direct rainfall to sustain their crops.

The wet cropping season begins this month and typically ends with the November harvest. Because of the depleted reservoir, the NIA has rescheduled its irrigation releases from the original July 15 opening to Aug. 15, subject to improvements in Angat Dam’s water level.

Meanwhile, Manalo said the agency is strengthening coordination with local government units along the Angat-Bustos River and irrigation canals to address the proliferation of informal settlers and illegal garbage dumping that clog waterways.

On Monday, engineer Enrique Carlos, head of the NIA Bulacan Irrigation Management Office, met with officials of the Baliwag City government to discuss measures against illegal settlements along NIA facilities and improper waste disposal.

Carlos said the absence of flowing water in dried-up canals and creeks has exposed accumulated garbage, producing a foul odor in several communities.

“Foul odor now emanates from NIA canals in Bagong Nayon, Ulingao, Makinabang and other barangays in Baliwag. We are working with city officials to identify those responsible and stop these illegal activities,” he said.

The prolonged dry weather has steadily drained Angat Dam. It first slipped below the 160.00-masl low critical level on June 30 when it reached 159.97 masl.

The reservoir had peaked at 213.62 masl on Dec. 17, 2025, exceeding its normal high-water level of 212.00 masl, but has declined continuously since then.

It fell to 210.39 masl on Jan. 18, 206.47 masl on Feb. 19, 201.18 masl on March 18, 191.35 masl on April 15, 177.43 masl on May 19—below the 180.00-masl low operating level—and further dropped to 165.51 masl on June 20 before falling below the critical threshold by the end of June.

Under the current water allocation policy, irrigation ranks fourth in Angat Dam’s priority uses, after Metro Manila’s domestic water supply, power generation, and Bulacan’s municipal water requirements.

Malolos City Mayor Christian Natividad criticized the low priority given to irrigation, saying Bulacan farmers have suffered from prolonged dry conditions and reduced water deliveries.

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“People outside Bulacan, even as far as Cavite, benefit from Angat Dam, yet Bulacan farmers are left thirsty and hungry for water that comes from their own province,” Natividad said. /cb