AS EXPECTED

LINGAYEN–It was all “Pepeng’s” fault.

This was the opinion given by an official of the San Roque Dam as the Sangguniang Panlalawigan conducted an inquiry on the possible causes of the worst flooding in the province’s history when Typhoon Pepeng hit on Oct. 9.

Engr. Virgilio Garcia, principal hydrologist of the Flood Forecasting and Warning System for Dam Operations at the San Roque Dam, said the heavy rains brought about by the typhoon is the sole source of the flood that affected 75% of the        province, leaving 62 dead and some P10 billion in damages.

“So you believe that the release of water from the San Roque Dam did not contribute to the flooding because you said that it is due to the unprecedented rainfall and therefore San Roque Dam is released from liability?” asked 6th District Board Member Alfonso Bince Jr. at the inquiry held Monday during the SP’s Question Hour.

“I believe so, yes sir,” was Garcia’s reply

Bince sponsored the resolution calling for a probe on the San Roque Power Corporation  (SRPC), National Power Corporation (NPC) and the Agno Flood Control Office for the suspected  “untimely and reckless release of the floodwaters” from San Roque Dam that worsened the destruction suffered by the province.

In his opening speech during the Question Hour, Bince said, “It is unfortunate that at this stage our people look at the San Roque Dam not as an economic patron but a monument and symbol of fear, terror and disaster.”

Garcia, on the other hand, said the dam actually held back some of the water that could have made the flooding worse.

“Without San Roque, spilling from Binga (Dam) has been gathered already in downstream areas,” Garcia said.

“Maybe if Pepeng could have arrived earlier than all those other floods, perhaps then San Roque will be able to absorb, but as you can see San Roque has already been receiving all those floods earlier and it was not spilling. So by the time that it has already so much water in its hands (and) it can no longer hold more so at that time we have also to save San Roque Dam,” he added.

NPC REP

Meanwhile, Melburgo Chiu, NPC vice president for Small Power Utilities Groups, Watershed Management, Dams and Reservoirs and Flood Forecasting, backed Garcia’s claim saying Typhoon Pepeng brought about too much water.

“Pepeng brought in more more waters than we had experienced so far more than 200 times the average in the past 15 years. We were caught unprepared for this kind of typhoon,” he said.

Chiu also insisted that their dam operators simply followed protocol in releasing water.

“We maximized the flood mitigation and capability of the San Roque Dam.

The National Power Corporation stands by its people that we did follow protocol and when to release the water from the dam, how much volume was to be released and  (we) issued the proper warnings repeatedly,” he said.

On the other hand, Board Member Amadeo Espino, president of the Liga ng Barangay in Pangasinan, countered the claim of the SRPC and NPC officials saying they have no warning systems in the barangays.

“Where is your warning” an irate Espino said, adding that the officials should stop lying: Kaya minsan pag nasugatan na yong tao, huwag na kayong magsinungaling.”

Despite the insistent denial of the dam officials that the spilling operation of the dam was the direct cause of the massive flooding, they later admitted that it aggravated the situation.

The members of the board also castigated the mode of the dam’s spilling operations which put it at a critical level and had it sending a large volume of water downstream, which could have been prevented had dam operators gradually released waters from the dam.

The board pointed out that the business side of the dam, which is power generation, was prioritized instead of its other functions, which includes flood mitigation and irrigation.

TILAPIA FACTOR?

Another board member raised the issue that dam managers allegedly waited too long before deciding to release an excessive volume of water because they wanted to save the tilapia that they were farming at the dam.

Fifth District Board Member Danilo Uy asked: “May sinasabi sa amin na meron daw kayong tilapia, na marami kayong feeds na pinapakain kaya nanghihinayang daw kayong mag release ng tubig baka daw yong tilapia sumama sa baha.”

Garcia denied knowledge of the alleged tilapia business but said the presence of tilapia is part of maintaining ecological balance at the reservoir.

“In fact, sa Angat Dam po, ang Napocor bumibili po kami ng mga tilapia fingerlings pinakakawalan po namin sa loob ng reservoir,” Garcia said.

Tommy Valdez, SRPC vice president for corporate social responsibility added that the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources was the one that put the fingerlings there to serve as a means of livelihood for the people.

Uy said he would like to have a surprise inspection in the dam but was told visits have to be arranged beforehand.

“Maganda sana na makita kung ano ang totoo,” he said.

SAFE

On the issue of the San Roque Dam’s structural strength to withstand an earthquake as it lies along a fault line, the dam officials assured that the design makes a dam break “very unlikely”.

Raymund Mariano of the SRPC said there are three events, which, if they happen simultaneously, could lead to a dam break. These are: massive flooding three times bigger than what Typhoon Pepeng brought; an earthquake with a magnitude of more than 7.2 on the Richter’s Scale; and an act of terrorism.

Mariano also debunked the claims that a dam break will result to flooding as high as three storeys. He said that on a sunny day, the flood will be about three meters high and will be doubled if it happens during typhoon season.—#

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