2 Bulacan dams release water, 200 families in Marilao evacuated

CITY OF MALOLOS — Two dams in Bulacan resumed releasing water on Friday as heavy rains brought by the enhanced southwest monsoon pushed their water levels closer to, and in one case beyond, their spilling levels, according to the Bulacan Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO).

Bustos Dam was releasing 294 cubic meters per second (cms) of water on Saturday morning after it began discharging 261 cms at 8 and 9 p.m. Friday.

Its water elevation rose to 16.33 meters at 8 p.m. and 16.42 meters at 9 p.m., nearing its 17-meter spilling level.

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Ipo Dam also began releasing water at 9 p.m. Friday, discharging 35.50 cms, which increased to 70.10 cms at 11 p.m. as its water elevation climbed to 101.40 and 101.65 meters, respectively.

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Ipo Dam’s spilling level is 101 meters. On Saturday morning, it continued to release 68.10 cms, with its water elevation at 101.17 meters.

Angat Dam, meanwhile, had a water elevation of 194.62 meters above sea level (masl) on Saturday. Its level has risen by nearly 44 meters from 150.55 masl on July 26 but remained 15.38 meters below its 210-meter normal high-water level.

Residents in low-lying areas and communities near the Angat River system that could be affected by water releases had already been evacuated during previous releases triggered by the southwest monsoon and Tropical Cyclones Luis and Maymay, said Manuel Lukban Jr., head of the Bulacan PDRRMO.

In Marilao town, an initial 200 families in NorthVille, Barangay Lambakin, were placed under preemptive evacuation after floodwaters rose to more than 3 feet.

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Lukban said the Marilao River had begun overflowing as floodwaters cascaded from rain-soaked mountainous areas of Bulacan, particularly Norzagaray.

High tide on Saturday was forecast at 3.71 feet, or 1.13 meters, at 10:48 a.m.

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Meanwhile, several waterways in the Pampanga River Basin, a major contributor to flooding in parts of Bulacan, particularly Calumpit, were at critical, alarm or alert levels.