CITY OF MALOLOS — Angat Dam is now releasing irrigation water to Bulacan and parts of Pampanga ricelands.

This was confirmed by Josephine Salazar, National Irrigation Administration (NIA) Central Luzon director, during a phone patch interview with this writer on a radio program over Newsline 103.1 FM on January 4.

Salazar said the original schedule for the release of irrigation water coming from Angat Dam was to start by January 2 this year.

However, as the water elevation of Angat Dam breached past the ideal 212 meter level in December last year, it started releasing water and NIA decided to released this water to the North Zone Irrigation Canal of the Bustos Dam, Salazar noted.

The original schedule for the irrigation supply for the 2024 dry rice cropping season to the irrigated ricelands in Bulacan and parts of Pampanga is from January 2 to May 15 this year.

Salazar said that she is confident that with the high water elevation of Angat Dam now monitored at 214.08 as of yesterday morning, the irrigation requirements for the ricelands in Bulacan and parts of Pampanga will be sufficient for this dry cropping season despite the threats of the El Niño phenomenon.

Bustos Dam otherwise known as the Angat Afterbay Regulator Dam, distributes the irrigation water coming from Angat Dam to irrigated ricelands in Bulacan and parts of Pampanga through its North, South and ANBUSPA (Angat-Bustos-Pandi) irrigation zones canals.

The irrigation supply to the North Zone Irrigation Canal provides the requirements of ricelands north of Bustos Dam in Bulacan and parts of Pampanga.

Photo: Mon Lazaro