A call for urgency:

Bulakenyo college students ask gov’t to act fast on Angat Dam issue

ANGAT DAM. A landscape photo of the Angat Dam reservoir.

Immediate action – this is what 10 out of 10 Bulakenyo college students asks the government towards the Angat Dam.

Though differing in expression and suggestions on possible solutions, the answers of the survey respondents boils down to a call for the government to act upon the issue involving the dam located at Norzagaray, Bulacan.

“Gawan na agad ng paraan. Hindi ‘yung kung kailan malala na at wala ng magagawang paraan tsaka sila kikilos,” said Patricia Delos Reyes, a junior BS Pharmacy student at Centro Escolar University (CEU) - Malolos.

“Dapat paglaanan ng malaking budget... ‘di dapat kurakutin ang ibibigay na pondo,” stated Mare Nella Bautista, junior Psychology student at Bulacan State University (BulSU).

“Dapat ibaba sa barangay level ‘yung mga anunsyo, even sa TV pwede,” deemed Maria Marienela Cruz, senior Psychology major at BulSU.

Cedrick Ramos, a third year BS Mathematics major in Computer Science at BulSU, believes that the national, provincial and local government, and the Bulakenyos as well, must help one another.

“’Di ko man alam ang pinakamagandang paraan para hindi maging mapaminsala ang dam break... malaki ang tulong na magagawa nito,” Ramos stated.

However, being asked for their own preparations for a possible dam break, four among the 10 Bulakenyo college students have done no preparations yet.

Jayson Dela Cruz, a third Information Technology major at BulSU explained “Wala naman. Hindi naman daw apektado ang Bulakan, Bulacan,” as he resides in the said town.

Meanwhile, the four other rely on prayers to do the work for them while the other two Bulakenyo college studes just constantly keeps up with the news for updates.

“Panalangin. For us po kasi, ‘yun ang pinakamabisang paghahanda para sa mga ganitong sitwasyon,” said Neil Roque, sophomore Broadcasting major at BulSU.

“Ano’t ano man kasi ang mangyari, mahalaga pa rin na unahin si God,” reasoned junior BulSUan Hotel and Restaurant Management major Amiel Balite.

But then, probing deeper into the respondents’ knowledge on the issue regarding the Angat Dam resulted to notably different answers.

“Nabalitaan ko na meron daw crack ang dam. Sinabi ‘yun ng guro ng kapatid ko,” stated Pauline Alvarado, another third year Information Technology student at BulSU.

“Nabalitaan ko po na ‘pag lumindol ay maaari itong bumigay at masira,” explained Roque.

 “May ginawang drill... Paghahanda raw kung sakaling mabiyak ang Angat Dam,” said BS Mathematics major in Computer Science freshman Lester Dillena from BulSU.

Moreover, wanting to know more about the circumstance, Ramos stated “Marami sa nabalitaan ko ay haka-haka lang. May crack na daw. Pinapagawa daw. Nawalan daw ng pondo. Ang gusto ko malaman ngayon kung ano ang ginagawa talaga ng gobyerno.”

Albert Ariola, a junior BulSUan Computer Engineering major expressed, “Gusto ko malaman kung paano maaagapan ng gobyerno natin ang malaking problema na ito.”

Through the former statements, it is clear that not all Bulakenyos have fully understood the condition of the Angat Dam, though nine out of 10 Bulakenyo college studes believe in the possibility of a dam break.

“’Di naman gagawa ng ganoong usapan ‘yung mga may katungkulan para lang takutin ‘yung mga tao,” deemed Delos Reyes.

Though a bit unsure, Balite said “Mas mabuti na maging handa... totoo man o hindi, kailangan talaga maghanda.”

The spread of news regarding the possible dam break reached its peak when the Bulacan provincial government conducted the “Angat Dam Break Drill” on December 13, 2013.

The drill participants walked along the McArthur Highway from their respective schools (BulSU, CEU, La Consolacion College of the Philippines and Bulacan Polytechnic College) and government offices to the Bulacan Sports Complex which served as the augmented evacuation center.

A dam break is believed to happen which will flood the province of Bulacan and neighboring places when a 7.2 magnitude earthquake hits the Marikina West Valley Faultline (MWVF) which runs from Norzagaray, Bulacan, where the Angat Dam is located, up to Rizal.

This was assessed in 2009 by Dr. Renato Solidum of the Philippine Volcanology and Seismology who warned the province to prepare for the worst case scenario as a branch of the MWVF lies 200 meters from the one of the dam’s dikes.

It was then confirmed by a study conducted by the Tonkin & Taylor International and Engineering Development Corporation of the Philippines that there is actually a branch of the MWVF underneath one of the dikes of the Angat Dam.