FACT CHECK: Bustos Dam not about to collapse – NIA

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The National Irrigation Administration debunked the false claim, which circulated amid heavy rainfall in parts of Luzon caused by the enhanced southwest monsoon or habagat

Claim: The Angat Afterbay Regulator Dam in Bulacan, also known as the Bustos Dam, is on the verge of collapse. 

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: The Facebook post making the claim has garnered 1,900 reactions, 533 shares, and 309 comments as of writing. It was posted on July 23 on the Facebook account of former broadcaster Jay Sonza, who has 351,000 followers.

“Sa mga kababayan sa Bulacan: Kaiingat po tayo. Balita ay malapit ng bumigay ang Bustos Dam,” he wrote in a status update.

(To the residents of Bulacan: Let’s be careful. There is news that the Bustos Dam is about to collapse.)

Reactions and comments on the post show that some Facebook users believed the claim, with one of the more popular comments blaming the situation on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The user wrote, “Sasabihin ni bangag sinira ng tubig. Perwisyo ang admin na ito.”

(Bangag will say the dam was destroyed by water. This government is a burden for us.)

“Bangag,” which means high or intoxicated, is a moniker used by Marcos’ critics to accuse him of alleged drug use.

The facts: The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) debunked Sonza’s false claim in a July 23 Facebook post.

“Sa kasalukuyan, hindi pa naka-inflate o nakalobo ang rubber gates ng dam bilang bahagi ng routine maintenance na taunang isinasagawa ng NIA. Ang patuloy na pagbaba ng tubig ay dulot ng matinding pag-ulang dala ng Bagyong Crising at Habagat,” the NIA wrote in its post.

(Currently, the dam’s rubber gates have not been inflated as part of the NIA’s routine maintenance. The continued decreasing level of water is due to the heavy rains brought by severe tropical storm Crising and the southwest monsoon.)

The government agency added that the dam’s structure has remained stable for the past 99 years. The NIA also advised the public not to believe fake or unverified information about the dam.

The NIA’s official Facebook account also commented on Sonza’s post to debunk the false claim: “Fake news po ito. Wala pong katotohanan na malapit ng bumigay ang Bustos Dam.”

(This is fake news. There is no truth to the claim that the Bustos Dam is about to collapse.)

Bustos Dam: The false claim started circulating after the Bustos Dam began discharging excess water following heavy rains from the southwest monsoon, which has been enhanced by severe tropical storm Crising.

This was triggered by Ipo Dam’s own release of excess water, which flowed downstream into the Bustos Dam, according to a Philippine Star report.

The water releases contributed to floodwaters rising in Bulacan. However, there are no reports about damage to the Bustos Dam or any structural instability.

Bustos Dam is a diversion dam located less than 30 kilometers from Malolos, the capital city of Bulacan. The dam is connected to the Angat River, which flows through the municipalities of Angat, Bustos, Calumpit, Hagonoy, Norzagaray, Paombong, Plaridel, Pulilan, and San Rafael, as well as the city of Baliwag in Bulacan.

Previous fact-checks: Rappler has debunked several false claims about disasters:

• FACT CHECK: No 6 tropical cyclones entering PH on July 23, 2025
• FACT CHECK: Date for ‘Big One’ earthquake can’t be predicted
• FACT CHECK: Viral video does not show earthquake in Australia 
• FACT CHECK: Photos of earthquake in Colombia are AI-generated 
• FACT CHECK: Contrary to claim, media reported on Sara Duterte’s 2021 visit to Odette victims

– Shay Du/Rappler.com

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