NIA orders immediate repair of Bustos Dam gates to protect Bulacan crops

The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) has ordered the immediate repair of the damaged rubber gates of Bustos Dam to prevent further damage to crops in Bulacan province.

During a study tour of the area, NIA Administrator Eduardo Guillen told Senate Finance Committee Chairperson Sherwin Gatchalian and local farmers that the damaged rubber gates require both immediate and long-term solutions.

Guillen said the agency is reviewing the proper allocation of funds for the repairs, including the construction of a blockade for damaged rubber gates 3 and 5, as well as the proposed allocation of P45 million for the construction of a cofferdam.

NIA plans to install steel sheet piles at rubber gates 3 and 5, and eventually at gates 1, 2, 4, and 6, to prevent water leakage during high water levels. In addition, sandbags measuring 90 centimeters by 90 centimeters by 100 centimeters will be used as the foundation for the steel sheet piles.

On May 1, 2025, Rubber Gate No. 3 suddenly deflated, or “burst,” due to extreme heat. The incident caused a sudden discharge of water into the Angat River, though NIA and the Bulacan Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office assured the public that there was no immediate flood risk as water levels were low at the time.

Around 2.38 meters of water was released, raising downstream river levels by approximately five centimeters. While no massive flooding occurred, residents in low-lying towns—including Bustos, Baliwag, Plaridel, Pulilan, Calumpit, Paombong, and Hagonoy—were placed on alert.

The deflation lowered the dam’s water level from its normal 17 meters to 15 meters, threatening irrigation for more than 1,200 hectares of rice fields.

Gatchalian said the national government will review the proposed P1.5-billion allocation sought by NIA under its 2027 National Expenditure Program, which aims to replace all check gates of Bustos Dam with new rubber bladders.

The proposed fund also covers embedded steel works, concrete anchorage, solar-powered sprinkler systems, slope protection or dikes, and dredging along the entire 3.7-kilometer stretch of the dam.

Meanwhile, NIA said it also needs P565 million for the Bustos Dam Afterbay Structure Project, which includes the construction of a two-meter broad-crested weir, a 5.82-meter reinforced concrete retaining wall, 16 sluice or control steel gates, and solar-powered pumps.

Initial funding for the projects has already begun, with the Department of Budget and Management allocating P100 million each from the 2024 and 2026 national budgets.