THE National Irrigation Administration (NIA) on Tuesday said recent heavy rains have replenished water reserves in major dams and helped sustain irrigation in rice-producing areas.
Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro during a press briefing read the NIA statement that indicated that the rains have replenish dams and reservoirs and provided additional water for irrigation.
The additional water reserves can support continued irrigation of farms in the coming months, the NIA said.
Castro said the water accumulated in Magat Dam is enough to irrigate about 90,000 hectares, while the water in Pantabangan Dam can support about 100,000 hectares.
The additional water supply can help crops in Isabela and Cagayan recover from the effects of El Niño, NIA said.
NIA’s initial monitoring showed no widespread damage to rice crops, with most plants still in the vegetative stage and less vulnerable to prolonged rain than during flowering and grain formation.
