QUEZON CITY -- Immediately after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit Luzon island on July 27, NIA Management called on a meeting with all NIA Department, Regional, and Project Managers for the assessment of earthquake damages on irrigation facilities.
Upon the conduct of field investigation and site inspection, NIA Region I incurred damages in the Main Canal (150 meters) of Banaoang Pump Irrigation System (Banaoang PIS) in the Municipality of Bantay, Ilocos Sur affecting irrigation service to about 2,000 hectares of agricultural land. The estimated cost of infrastructure damage is P15 million. In Pangasinan, no damages were recorded at the San Roque Dam based on the initial Report of Pangasinan IMO. For the provinces of La Union and Ilocos Norte, no major damages on irrigation infrastructure were recorded.
NIA Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) recorded no damages on NIA CAR office buildings, except Abra Satellite Office with an estimated damage cost of P5 million. The Upper Chico River Irrigation System (UCRIS) in Kalinga and West Apayao Abulug Irrigation System (WAAIS) intake gates were closed for inspection of possible damages on canal embankment. Field Offices Calamity Task Force is monitoring the status of ongoing and existing infrastructures. Office work was already suspended in NIA CAR today while work in NIA Abra is suspended until Friday. Aftershocks are still being felt, especially in Abra. Boulders and rocks continue to fall in some roads. Provincial and IMO heads are still monitoring irrigation system mostly through text and chat messages due to road blockages.
NIA Magat River Integrated Irrigation System (MARIIS) reported that Magat Dam and its appurtenant structures, Baligatan Hydroelectric Power Plant, Baligatan Diversion Dam, MARIS Dam and Bridge structure, buildings, and roads are undamaged and in good condition. However, for the safety of NIA MARIIS personnel, drainage galleries were not yet inspected due to the aftershocks experienced in the locality. Compared with previous readings, the earthquake has no significant impact on dam structure. Dam structure is in normal condition. The inspection of the drainage galleries, power transmission, distribution lines, the slide at the Korokan Fault, and watershed and reservoir rim will be conducted tomorrow, July 28, 2022. For more thorough evaluation, MARIIS will be requesting experts from NIA Central Office for Joint Dam Safety Inspection and Evaluation.
In Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation Systems (UPRIIS), a memo instructing all UPRIIS offices to assess dams, canal structures and office buildings was issued by Department Manager Rosalinda B. Bote right after the earthquake. As per initial assessment, the earthquake in Abra did not affect the integrity of the Pantabangan Dam. Visual observations also showed that there were no major damages to the dam structures/embankment, building facilities, roadway, canal structures, and electro-mechanical components under UPRIIS Dam and Reservoir. From the reports already forwarded by Division Office Engineers, no damages were recorded during their inspection.
At NIA Central Office, office work was suspended as per the directive of the NIA Management. The Emergency Preparedness and Safety Team reported that no damages on office buildings and facilities were recorded. All other Luzon areas has no reported damages as of the moment.
NIA Management encourages the public to remain alert for possible aftershocks. In these natural disasters, emergency preparedness and public cooperation are necessary to protect the lives of the Filipino people. (NIA)
