NIA orders Bustos Dam repairs amid rubber gate failure

The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) has ordered immediate repairs to damaged rubber gates at Bustos Dam to prevent further crop damage in Bulacan province, officials said Monday.

During a site visit with Senate Finance Committee Chairperson Sherwin Gatchalian and local farmers, NIA Administrator Eduardo Guillen emphasized the urgency of both temporary and long-term fixes.

The move follows a 1 May 2025 incident where Rubber Gate No. 3 deflated due to extreme heat.

The deflation released approximately 2.38 meters of water into the Angat River, raising downstream levels by about 5 centimeters. While officials from the NIA and the Bulacan Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office said there was no immediate flood risk, the dam’s water level dropped from 17 meters to 15 meters. The decline threatens the irrigation supply for more than 1,200 hectares of rice fields.

To address the damage, the NIA plans to install steel sheet piles at gates 3 and 5, eventually expanding the reinforcement to gates 1, 2, 4, and 6 to prevent leaks during high water levels.

The agency is also allotting P45 million for a coffer dam and using 1-ton sandbags to stabilize the new steel foundations.

Gatchalian said the national government will review a proposed P1.5 billion allocation in the 2027 National Expenditure Program. If approved, the funds would replace all check gates with new rubber bladders and finance solar-powered sprinkler systems, concrete anchorage, and dredging along the 3.7-kilometer dam area.

“The damaged rubber gates need immediate and long-term solutions,” Guillen said, noting that the agency is prioritizing budget allocations for these “blockades.”

Additionally, the NIA is seeking P565 million for the Bustos Dam Afterbay Structure Project. This infrastructure would include a 2-meter broad-crested weir, a 5.82-meter reinforced concrete retaining wall, 16 steel control gates, and solar-powered pumps.

The Department of Budget and Management has already provided initial funding, with P100 million allocated from both the 2024 and 2026 national budgets to jumpstart the works.

Residents in the low-lying towns of Bustos, Baliwag, Plaridel, Pulilan, Calumpit, Paombong and Hagonoy remain on alert as repairs proceed.