Pantabangan Dam releases water to prevent overflowing

CABANATUAN CITY, Nueva Ecija, December 9, 2011-To prevent the giant Pantabangan Dam from overflowing, the National Irrigation Administration is prompted to release water from its reservoir as it nears the spilling level which is four meters shy of the spilling level of 221 meters while the dam’s elevation was recorded at 217 meters yesterday.

Josephine Salazar, operations manager of the Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation Systems which runs the dam said that the dam’s elevation at this time of the year is much higher as historically level is only at around 202 to 204 meters.

“Our high water level has given us the luxury of releasing water before the onset of the dry season, adding that at 217 meters, they can sustain the irrigation needs of up to 111,000 hectares of agricultural lands in Nueva Ecija and portions of Central Luzon,” Salazar said.

“With this water level now, farmers can afford a third cropping without experiencing drought. Novo Ecijano farmers are blessed with an abundance of water at the Pantabangan Dam unlike other areas which rely on run-off the river water,” she said.

Pantabangan Dam, the largest among the country’s national irrigations systems that include the Magat and Angat Dams, has a maximum irrigation capacity of only 102,000 hectares but this has been augmented by the construction of the Casecnan Dam which diverts irrigation water from the Casecnan and Taang rivers to the Pantabangan Dam through a 26-kilometer underground tunnel.

“UPRIIS is prioritizing the rehabilitation of irrigation canals damaged during typhoons Pedring and Quiel to fast-track water delivery schedule and make the tail-end portions receive irrigation water,” Salazar said, explaining that her office is in the process of validating the list of areas to be covered by exemptions from payment of irrigation service fees (ISFs). (Jason de Asis)

Court’s questionable rulings cannot be resolved through reconciliation-Kiko

MANILA, December 8, 2011-Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan weighs in on the Catholic Bishop Conference of the Philippines's (CBCP’s) called on for reconciliation between the Chief Executive and the Supreme Court and end their recent war of words.

Pangilinan pointed out that the key issue in the clash between the executive and judicial branches are the string of controversial rulings that have placed grave doubt on the fairness and the impartiality of the court, saying that many of these rulings have prevented the executive department from pursuing its commitment to addressing pervasive corruption and exacting accountability and justice.

“These highly questionable rulings cannot be the subject matter of mediation or conciliation or talks. I may be mistaken, but I am afraid that, at this point, any talks between the two branches will just be for show or pakitang tao lamang and will not help address the problem,” he said.

Earlier, three bishops who are all known to be close to the Chief executive’s mother, the late and former president Corazon Aquino issued statements Tuesday to stress the need for Aquino and some SC officials to restrain comments after an unseemly public spat.

As they said, yuletide season is coming: thus; peace, reconciliation, and respect for each other is important as Christmas is fast approaching. (Jason de Asis)