NIA WARN: No swimming at Bustos Dam

HAGONOY, Bulacan—No fishing, dipping and swimming is allowed at the apron of Bustos Dam.

This was the warning of a ranking official of the national Irrigation Administration (NIA) after disclosing that rubber gates of the dam located in between San Rafael and Bustos town is nearing the end of its lifespan.

Felix Robles, the officer in charge of NIA’s Water Control and Coordinating Unit (WCCU) said a similar rubber gate of a dam in Florida in the United States burst recently leading to rapid outflow of water from the reservoir.

Robles and other dam officials were in this town yesterday during the first leg of disaster preparedness information drive initiated by the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office and the National Power Corporation (Napocor)

“The lifespan of a rubber gate is 14 to 15 years, and it could be shorter like the one in Florida defending on the weather condition,” he said noting that rubber gates installed at Bustos Dam is as old as the one that burst in Florida.

Since rubber gates of Bustos Dam are nearing the end of its lifespan, Robles said they cannot ascertain its safety, and must be replaced immediately.

He advised local residents to stop fishing on the dam’s apron, while warning local tourists from dipping and swimming at the downstream of the dam.

“Its can burst anytime, and when deflated, water will rush downstream to the apron,” he said and added that every year they conduct repair on the cracks on the rubber gate by vulcanizing it.

At present, NIA has installed steel-fence on the downstream of the dam, but people continue to flock there as the provincial tourism office promote the dam apron as a good place to dip in during summer.

Robles said the potential of danger is very clear and imminent, that’s why they asked even barangay officials to discourage residents from fishing and swimming on the dam apron.

He said that the rubber gates of Bustos Dam were installed in 1998 by Zenitaka Construction which was contracted by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) which also spearheaded rehabilitation on the dam’s apron.

Built in the early 60s, Bustos town is operated by the NIA and serves as an after bay regulatory dam of the bigger Angat Dam in Norzagaray town.

It has six 80 meters long rubber gates which are 2.5 meters high.

Bustos Dam straddles the entire length of the Angat River in between Bustos and Rafael towns where water for irrigation were distributed through a network of irrgatin canals to as far west as Bocaue, Bulakan, and Hagonoy towns; and to as far east as San Miguel in Bulacan and Candaba in Pampanga. 

Holcim Philippines deploys employees for community work

Holcim COO Roland Wijnen

More companies have been encouraging employees to participate in volunteer programs during their off days, but last May 24, cement manufacturer Holcim Philippines’ almost 1,700 employees got to do this on company time.

To celebrate the Holcim Group’s 100^th birthday, Holcim Philippines deployed its workforce on a work day to go to its communities in La Union, Bulacan, Taguig, Misamis Oriental, and Davao to participate in various community service activities.

Holcim Philippines employees went to public schools near their facilities to clean and paint classrooms and tend gardens to help prepare these for opening of classes. Employees also held story telling sessions and road safety demonstrations for children there. The company also brought along dentists, doctors and barbers, who provided free service to the children

These form part of the Holcim Group’s Together for Communities initiative, which seeks to mobilize this year its 80,000 people in over 70 countries to render public service in various communities.

“These activities are Holcim’s way to give back to its communities which give our company the license to operate,” said Holcim Philippines COO Roland van Wijnen. “Moreover, activities as these deeply drive a sense of sharing among our employees.”

Van Wijnen said that aside from the Community Service Day, the company has lined up other activities throughout the year that would allow employees spend their time volunteering in communities instead of reporting for duty at the office.

The La Union Plant will lead a coastal clean-up, medical mission, and a book drive. Its Bulacan Plant had already deployed people to participate in the clean-up Bocaue River and the Pinagrealan Cave and has invited them to join a blood letting drive, visit a youth correctional and serve as teachers for a day. In Misamis Oriental, the plant will hold a highway clean-up and a beautification of a Gawad Kalinga village in the province. Davao employees, meanwhile, have a chance to join a tree and mangrove planting activity or spend time with the elderly.

Another Centennial celebration activity is the roll out of its Project Fostering a Child’s Education (FACE) in all its sites, a program wherein employees volunteer to shoulder some of the schooling expenses of underprivileged but deserving students and regularly interact with them to provide guidance. Holcim Philippines tested the program in its Bulacan Plant for 24 student beneficiaries. It was inspired by a similar initiative by its former COO Ian Thackwray who personally supports the education of 160 students until they finish high school.

All these activities are in line with Holcim Philippines’s Sagot Ko ang Bukas online campaign (http://sagotko.holcim.ph) which seeks to encourage its employees and partners to pledge on how they can contribute to a better future. The Sagot Ko ang Bukas campaign is Holcim Philippines’ effort to make people better understand the concept of sustainability and bring it down to a personal level.