CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- The Pampanga River Flood Forecasting and Warning Center (PRFFWC) said it is now prepared for the rainy season even if the province was not affected much by the first two typhoons this year.
Engineer Armando Taruc, PRFFWC officer-in-charge, stressed that the country might experience three to four typhoons in September according to Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).
However, since the typhoons didn’t hit the Centran Luzon directly, the province still has water insufficiency, he added.
Some towns in Pampanga, he said, have source water from the Angat and Pantabangan dams.
"May mga nagpa-practice kasi ng irigasyon dito sa Pampanga na naka-linya sa mga dam na iyon. Ang nakaraang El Niño ay talagang nakaapekto sa probinsya kaya hindi pa talaga nakakatulong ang mga pag-ulan ngayon kahit tuluy-tuloy. Unsaturated ang lupa at nangangailangan ng madalas na pag-ulan," he continued.
Taruc said rainfall has not been continuous for past two days because of the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ).
He said they are monitoring towns along Pampanga River including Arayat, Candaba, San Luis, San Simon, Apalit, and Mexico plus Sasmuan, which are sub-basins of the river.
"Ito kasi ang mga most affected towns pag tag-ulan. They have a total drainage area of 10,500 sq. km. at ang Manila Bay na lang ang labasan," he stressed.
The water level of the river is now at 3.12 meters only, the highest at Arayat River, which is expected to go up to nine meters this rainy season.
"Zero ngayon ang pangingisda ng mga tao along the river. Kapag na-repair na ang dike sa Arayat, magiging ok na rin." (Marlon P. Beltran)