NIA Central Office – The two major dams in Luzon, the 48-year-old Pantabangan Dam in Pantabangan Nueva Ecija and the 39-year-old Magat Dam in Ramon, Isabela, were undamaged by the recent Magnitude 7.0 Earthquake in Tayum, Abra on July 27, 2022. This attests the structural integrity of NIA dams which can stand 50 years and even beyond a half century.
In a press conference held by the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) on August 1, 2022 at NIA Convention Hall, 5th Floor, DCIEC Building, Acting Administrator Benny D. Antiporda and Deputy Administrator for Engineering and Operations Sector C’zar M. Sulaik assured the public that the earthquake had no major damages to the dam structures/embankment, building facilities, roadway, canal structures, and electro-mechanical components.
Administrator Antiporda emphasized that the public does not need worry about safety and irrigation service delivery because NIA has precautionary measures. Wala pong damage ang ating dams. The Agency only wants to ensure the safety of the public, especially the communities located on downstream areas.
Even though the major dams were not affected by the earthquake, some communal irrigation projects of NIA incurred damages. Based on initial assessment of the Agency, a total of 27 irrigation projects covering about 3,167.50 hectares of agricultural land incurred damages amounting to P243.33 million. Twenty-six of which are located in Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) and one (1) in Ilocos Region: the Banaoang Pump Irrigation System located in the Municipality of Bantay, Ilocos Sur which Administrator Antiporda is set to personally visit right after the press conference.
Despite the earthquake incident, NIA ensures the unhampered delivery of irrigation service to the Filipino farmers in adherence to the food security program of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Romualdez Marcos, Jr.# (EDEN VICTORIA C. SELVA, Department Manager A, NIA Public Affairs and Information Staff)
