Friday, August 24, 2007

Local exec seeks "justice" for Pantabangan people

PANTABANGAN, Nueva Ecija: The people who had their share of “supreme sacrifice” to ensure the abundant flow of irrigation to over 102,000 hectares of farmfields and Nueva Ecija and adjoining areas and production of additional electricity for Luzon grid through the construction of the giant dam must enjoy a return.

Thus Mayor Romeo Borja called on the national government to provide assistance to local residents “who remain in poverty” after the construction of the Asia’s largest earthen Pantabangan dam displaced them33 years ago.

The dam, funded by the World Bank as provided for in Republic Act 5499 passed by the Congress in May 1969 that created the Upper Pampanga River Project, was completed in 1974. The law provided for its construction through a $34-million grant given by the United States in Aug. 1969.

The project submerged some 8,100 hectares, including the Old Poblacion, forcing townsfolk to resettle to other places.

Borja said its high time the residents be provided stable means of livelihood since the families in the old Pantabangan town proper still live an hand-to-mouth existence. It was launched on June 11, 1971 by the former strongmenFerdinand Marcos which ground breaking was held at the town peoper.

Among the villages submerged were barangays Liberty, San Juan, Cadaclan, Napon-Napon, Marikit, Villarica and Conversion, representing 10 percent of the old town’s area. Affected villagers were resettled .

Engr. Antonio Nangel, operations manager of NIA-Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation System, has said the dam ensured enough sufficient irrigation supply during the feared prolonged dry spell in the past few weeks.

Borja recalled that when the residents were resettled, the national government only gave them two heads of pigs and goats. “anong mangyayari do’n? Hindi ‘yon ang kailangan naming,” he said.

He said it was ironic that while Pantabangan Dam provides irrigation to other areas, local residents do not benefit from the irrigation since they were brought in the uplands where there were no viable irrigation service.

“The government should now give justice to the sacrifices rendered by the townsfolk in giving up their lands and properties to play host to an irrigation facility where they have never been beneficiary,” Borja added.

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Fire hits Gapan City Market

GAPAN CITY - Some P200-million worth of properties and goods were razed to the ground by a 3-hour fire that gutted the public market Sunday morning, a fire official said.
Insp. Norman Fines, Gapan City fire marshal, said the fire started 2:15 a.m. and contained in three hours.

While some stall owners alleged the fire bureau, responded late to the call, Fines admitted having difficulty with water supply. The fire bureau was only 50 meters away from the market.
He said faulty electrical wiring might have caused the fire, emanating from the dry goods section.

Arson was initially ruled out, following investigation.

Fines said fire trucks from about 15 towns and cities of Nueva Ecija responded to the alarm.
Hours after the fire, text messages prodded the townsfolk to press for an impartial investigation to determine if the fire had anything to do with plans to construct a new market. “Ang pagkasunog ng Gapan public market ay dapat paim­besitigahan ng taong bayan at tingnan ang kaugnayan nito sa planong pagtatayo ng bagong palengke,” the text messages read. --Armand M. Galang, The Manila Times

Sunday, August 12, 2007

With rainwaters; NIA stops water release to service areas

CABANATUAN CITY - The National Irrigation Administration-Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation System has suspended release of water from the Pantabangan Dam amid generous inflow from heavy rains the past few days, a ranking official said Friday.

Antonio S. Nangel, NIA-UPRIIS operations manager, ordered a stop on the release of water to cushion the impact of continuous rain brought about by Typhoons Chedeng and Dodong.

Before the typhoons, the dam was releasing irrigation water at an average of 110 cubic meters a second to UPRIIS’s programmed areas of 84,830-hectares farmland.

Nangel said that on Thursday the water level in Pantabangan Dam was at 190.01 meters, or about a meter higher than the 189.56 meters on August 7. The inflow was pegged at 160 cms, Nangel said.

Although the inflow is substantial, with the underground tunnel diverting water from Taan and Casecnan Rivers in Nueva Vizcaya to the giant reservoir, dam officials allayed fears of spilling.

“At 190.01 meters [Thursday], we need more rain,” said Nangel, saying that the dam’s spilling level is 221 meters. -Armand M. Galang

Thursday, August 02, 2007

NIA to farmers: take care of facilities


CABANATUAN CITY - The National Irrigation Administration-Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation System has appealed to farmers to take care of its facilities to avoid wasting the irrigation water.

The call was made amid fears of a prolonged drought.

Engineer Antonio Nangel, operations manager of the system, also advised members of irrigators’ associations to embrace recommended technology to ensure great yield without the need for excessive water.

In a letter, Nangel, along with other officials, asked the farmers to avoid activities that would destroy irrigation facilities and structures.
They also called for prompt payment of irrigation fees, which go to the improvement of the system and services.

The water elevation in Pantabangan Dam is now below the 190 meters level, far from the normal 200 meters, because of the below-normal rainfall.

The downgrade happens despite continuous inflow from the multibillion-peso Casecnan Multipurpose Irrigation and Power Project, the underground tunnel that diverts water from the Taan and Casecnan River in the triboundaries of Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya and Aurora provinces.

Sources said that officials from the Lopez-owned FirstGen company, which now runs the Pantabangan hydroelectric power plant, are worried about the dwindling reserve. -Armand M. Galang, The Manila Times

NFA head assures public of sufficient rice on lean days

CABANATUAN CITY - About 1.5 million bags of rice imported from Vietnam were distributed to seven provinces in Central Luzon to beef up their respective buffer stocks over the weekend.

The engineer Nicolas Cri­sos­tomo, regional director of the National Food Authority in Region 3 said that the province of Aurora received 40,000 bags; Bataan,111,000; Bulacan, 397,000; Nueva Ecija, 280,000; Pam­panga, 370,000; Tarlac, 185,000 and Zambales, 86,000.
The rice was shipped from Vietnam to Subic Freeport via seven vessels last week, Cri­sos­tomo continued.

“By injecting the markets with these cheaper and good quality NFA rice stocks, the commercial prices of rice remained stable at this time when supply is at a traditional low because of the planting season,” Crisostomo said.

Another batch of 2 million bags of rice is due to arrive on September, an allocation for the typhoon season, he added. -Armand M. Galang