CITY OF MALOLOS — Angat Dam has not suffered any cracks due to extreme heat.

This was the reaction of Manuel Lukban Jr., head of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Office (PDRRMO) of Bulacan, to the recent news report that said parts of the dam suffered cracks (bitak) due to the extreme heat of the sun.

The report mentioned that cracks were detected in certain areas of the Angat watershed, particularly in Sitio Maputi, Barangay San Lorenzo, in Norzagaray town. This information has made some people uneasy, prompting inquiries into its veracity, noted Lukban.

The panicky reactions of the people, particularly those living downstream of the Angat Dam, inquiring about the veracity of the report can be attributed to the “Big One” scenario study. This study suggests that if the dam collapses due to a strong earthquake, it could inundate a large portion of Bulacan, destroying tens of thousands of residential houses and resulting in tens of thousands of drowning victims.

Lukban explained that the cracks were monitored on the river system of the Angat watershed far from the Angat Dam.

The cracks were brought about the dwindling water elevation of the Angat watershed and have not affected the Angat Dam structure, the PDRRMO officer said.

On the other hand, Julius Paraiso, an official of the Sagip Sierra Madre Environmentalists Society Inc., an environmentalists group familiar with the Angat watershed said in a text message, “malayo po ang [Sitio] Maputi sa Angat Dam, and normal lang na magkabitak-bitak ang lupa kapag natutuyo na ang malaking bahagi ng kailugan. Expect na po namin na mas lalong lalala pa ang pagkatuyot sa pagdaan ng mga araw.”

📷 Mon Lazaro