Irrigation Extension Granted for Flood-Affected Fields in Bulacan, Pampanga
The National Water Resources Board (NWRB) has extended the irrigation allocation from Angat Dam for rice fields in Bulacan and Pampanga until November 15.
Originally set to end on October 30, the extension comes after a request from Josephine Salazar, the chief of the National Irrigation Administration for Central Luzon.
The request was made to aid the irrigation of rice crops that were replanted following their destruction caused by floods during the southwest monsoon and Typhoons Egay and Falcon in July and August.
Francisco Clara, chief of the water control and coordinating unit of Bustos Dam, reported that the floods affected 7,477.24 hectares of irrigated rice farms in Bulacan and parts of Pampanga.
Mel Domingo, a leader of a farmers’ group, expressed that the extension of the irrigation allocation is crucial for providing adequate water to the replanted rice crops.
The floods and subsequent replanting delayed the expected harvest time from late October to early November.