Dam water release protocol readied
LINGAYEN–To ensure that there will be no more repeat of the flood disaster that hit Pangasinan in July last year, guidelines are now being worked out for the release of water from the San Roque Multi-Purpose Dam.
A series of meetings is now ongoing in Manila for the drafting of a dam protocol that will guide the National Power Corporation (NPC) and the San Roque Power Corporation when to release water from the dam.
The meetings, initiated by the National Disaster Coordinating Council and the Office of Civil Defense, is being attended by representatives from various concerned agencies.
Paterno Orduna, executive director of the Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council (PDCC) said Gov. Amado Espino Jr. insisted on an acceptable dam protocol to prevent another disastrous flood in Pangasinan, like what happened last year. He was designated by the governor to attend the meetings to represent the interests of the province.
Orduna said the definition of a new protocol is crucial because the province cannot afford to suffer the same level of disaster last year when nearly three-fourths of the province went under water as a result of the unmitigated release of water from the dam at the height of Typhoon “Pepeng”.
The flood resulted in the loss of lives and the destruction of billions of pesos worth of crops as well as public and private properties.
Orduna added the provincial government is also preparing a training exercise in water rescue operations in September to be held in Lingayen that will involve different situations, from dam water release to rescue and public information dissemination.
The exercise is a national government program supported by the Japanese International Cooperation Agency, in cooperation with the Philippine Atmospheric Geo-sciences Astronomical Services Administration.–LM
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