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San Roque Dam: Overview
📍 Location: San Manuel, Pangasinan, Philippines
🌊 River System: Agno River Basin
🎯 Purpose: Flood control, irrigation, hydroelectric power generation, and water supply
San Roque Dam receives water primarily from the Agno River, one of the largest river systems in the Philippines. Its key tributaries include:
Ambuklao River – upstream in Benguet
Binga River – source near Itogon, Benguet
Upper Agno River – the primary channel flowing from the Cordillera mountains
Tuel River – a contributing tributary within the watershed
Ipo River – a smaller tributary joining the main Agno stream
These tributaries converge and flow into the Agno River, which is dammed at San Manuel to create the reservoir for San Roque Dam.
Once stored in the dam, the water is utilized or released through various outlets:
Releases excess water during heavy rains to prevent downstream flooding.
Flows into the lower Agno River, eventually reaching Lingayen Gulf.
Supports irrigation for around 708 km² of agricultural land in Pangasinan, Tarlac, and Nueva Ecija via the Agno River Integrated Irrigation System (ARIIS).
The dam has a capacity of 435 megawatts, supplying electricity to Luzon Grid.
Water passing through turbines is released back to the river after generating power.
Regulates water supply downstream, which may be used by local communities and industries along the Agno River.
The San Roque Dam watershed covers parts of Benguet, Nueva Vizcaya, and Pangasinan, and is part of the Upper Agno River Watershed Forest Reserve—crucial for maintaining water quality and supply.
The 2,000-Year Myth? Busted.
New Research Reveals the Real Story Behind the Ifugao Rice Terraces
For decades, we believed the majestic Ifugao Rice Terraces were over 2,000 years old. But new scientific findings are now rewriting that narrative.
According to UCLA archaeologist Prof. Stephen Acabado and heritage advocate Marlon Martin, recent studies show the terraces are likely just 200 to 400 years old. Through radiocarbon dating, soil analysis, and a close look at irrigation systems and crop remnants, they discovered no evidence of ancient rice farming in early Ifugao settlements like Old Kiangan Village. Instead, they found signs of taro — a crop that doesn’t require terraces at all.
So where did the 2,000-year claim come from? Early 20th-century American scholars like Roy Barton and H. Otley Beyer guessed based on migration theories and oral traditions — not science. Over time, these guesses became “facts” in textbooks and tourism campaigns.
But here’s the twist: the newer timeline doesn’t make the terraces less valuable — it makes them even more powerful. Built during the Spanish colonial era, they were a bold strategy by the Ifugao people to stay independent, preserve their culture, and resist colonial control.
“These terraces aren’t ancient relics — they’re proof of resilience, resistance, and ingenuity,” says Acabado. “A 200-year-old terrace tells an equally powerful story.”
This research shifts the spotlight from myth to meaning — celebrating not just how long the terraces have existed, but why they were built in the first place.
Originally published by Rappler.
#IfugaoRiceTerraces #PhilippineHeritage #HistoryUncovered #CulturalPride #ResilientPH #HeritageNotHype
