Drought Reveals Lost 300-Year-Old City in Philippines

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Manila –

The phenomenon of scorching hot weather in the Philippines has caused a large dam in the country to dry up, revealing the ruins of a nearly 300 year old city.

The city of Pantabangan was sunk in the 1970s for the sake of building a reservoir. In rare extreme situations when the weather is dry and hot the city rises from the surface of the water.

The re-emergence of Pantabangan City occurred because almost half of the Philippines was hit by drought in several areas, with temperatures reaching their highest point.

Marlon Paladin, an expert from the government agency that operates the dam, told AFP that since the dam was built, this is the longest time the lost city has been above water

Extreme heat disrupts the daily lives of millions of Filipinos. Schools were closed for days and office workers were advised to work from home.

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The city of Pantabangan was sunk in the 1970s for the sake of building a reservoir. In rare extreme conditions when the weather is dry and hot the city rises from the surface of the water. (Getty Images)

Benison Estareja, a meteorologist with the government’s Pagasa weather agency, told BBC News that temperatures could still get slightly hotter in the coming days.

“The general impact of climate change on the Philippines is warmer temperatures. The heat we are experiencing now may continue to increase in the coming days,” said Estareja.

The Philippines is one of the countries most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. The rainy season can bring monster storms, such as Super Typhoon Haiyan, one of the strongest typhoons in history in 2013.

The Pantabangan Reservoir provides water for rice fields in the surrounding area. (Getty Images)

“The dam water level will decrease, including in Pantabangan and other areas,” added Estareja.

Based on official data, the water level has fallen by almost 50 meters from the highest normal level of 221 meters.

Paladin said to AFP that the ruins of Pantabangan City started to appear again in March because the area received almost no rain.

The reappearance of the ruins has attracted tourists to the city about 202 kilometers north of Manila.

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The hot and dry season in the Philippines is currently being exacerbated by El Nino or abnormal warming of surface waters in the Pacific Ocean. The entire eastern coast of this island nation faces the Pacific.

As reported by the news agency , schools in the Philippines were closed and the local government warned of overloading its power grid.

On Sunday (28/04), the Philippine Ministry of Education canceled face-to-face classes in public schools for two days. This condition is similar to Bangladesh which also implemented school suspensions and affected 33 million students.

“We have received reports of students and teachers experiencing high blood pressure, headaches and even fainting in the last few days,” Benjo Basas, head of the Teachers Dignity Coalition, told the radio station. DWPM.

The remains of Pantabangan City which have reappeared on the surface have become a tourist attraction. (Getty Images)

The Philippine weather agency said the heat index, the actual temperature felt by the body including relative humidity, is expected to remain at a record 45 degrees Celsius.

This range is categorized as “dangerous” because the condition can trigger heat stroke due to prolonged exposure.

The heat wave also hit electricity supplies on the main island of Luzon, which accounts for three-quarters of the Philippines’ economic output.

The Philippines’ power grid operator said power reserves there were running low after 13 power plants were shut down earlier this month.

People visit the remains of the sunken old town of Pantabangan on April 28, 2024 in Nueva Ecija province, Philippines. (Getty Images)

What about other Southeast Asian countries?

Countries across Southeast Asia have issued various health warnings ahead of a severe, deadly heatwave.

In Myanmar, the air temperature soared above 45 degrees Celsius.

Meanwhile in Vietnam, state media reported how people were trying to escape the heat by visiting air-conditioned malls in the business center of Ho Chi Minh City.

Vietnam’s national weather agency issued warnings of the risk of forest fires, dehydration and heat stroke.

On Sunday (28/04), Vietnam’s weather authorities reported that the maximum temperature in several parts of Vietnam’s northern and central regions ranged between 40.2 and 44.0 degrees Celsius.

In Vietnam, people take shelter from the heat by visiting shopping malls. (Getty Images)

On the other hand, Vietnam’s state electricity company urged consumers not to use air conditioning excessively considering electricity consumption reached a record high in recent days.

In Thailand, temperatures in Bangkok and the country’s central and northern regions are expected to exceed 40 degrees. The meteorological agency advised people to avoid being outdoors for long periods.

In Lampang, a northern Thai city, the temperature soared to 44.2 degrees Celsius on April 22. The meteorological department on Monday (29/04) predicted that extreme heat would continue this week.

Thailand’s Ministry of Health itself stated that 30 people died from heatstroke between January and April 17 this year. In 2023, 37 people were reported to have died from heat stroke.

Meanwhile in Malaysia, the local meteorological agency on Sunday (28/04) announced a hot weather warning for 16 areas where temperatures reached between 35 and 40 degrees Celsius for three consecutive days.

Malaysia’s Ministry of Health reported 45 cases of heat-related illnesses although it did not say when the cases began being tracked. In its statement, the ministry reported two deaths due to heat stroke.

In neighboring Singapore, the local meteorological service said temperatures there could surpass 2023, which was Singapore’s fourth warmest year since records began in 1929.

Singapore’s hottest day was recorded on May 13, 2023 when the highest daily maximum temperature reached 37 degrees Celsius.

Since last month, several schools have relaxed uniform rules so that students can wear more comfortable sportswear in the intense heat.

What about our country?

In Indonesia, warming temperatures are driving an increase in cases of dengue fever, an infection carried by mosquitoes. The Health Ministry said the figure had more than doubled to 35,000 from 15,000 a year earlier.

Ministry of Health spokesperson, Siti Nadia Tarmizi, told the news agency Between that the El Nino weather pattern has extended the dry season while hotter temperatures speed up the life cycle of the mosquito that causes dengue fever.

(nvc/nvc)