300-year-old sunken village reappears due to 'dangerous' drought in Philippines

A nearly 300-year-old village settlement, submerged by a dam in the 1970s, has reappeared in the northern Philippines due to a prolonged drought.

Parts of the settlement, including a church and tombstones, emerged from the waters of the Pantabangan Dam in Nueva Ecija province.

The dam's water levels have dropped nearly 50 meters below normal, and this is the sixth time the village has emerged since the dam's construction.

"This is the longest time (it was visible) based on my experience," Paladin told news agency AFP.

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Drought in the Philippines | 5 points

1. Half of the Philippines' provinces, including Nueva Ecija, are officially experiencing drought conditions.

2. The heatwave is straining power supplies on Luzon, the country's main island, contributing three-quarters of economic output. According to the Philippines ' grid operator, thirteen power plants have shut down, thinning reserves.

3. Due to a record-high heat index forecast, the Philippines' education ministry has directed public schools to transition to online learning. This decision aims to address concerns about crowded classrooms lacking adequate air conditioning.

4. Warmer temperatures in Indonesia have contributed to a surge in dengue fever cases. Last month, reported cases rose to 35,000, up from 15,000 the previous year.

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Why is the Philippines experiencing a severe drought?

March, April, and May are typically the hottest and driest in the archipelago nation, but the El Niño weather has exacerbated conditions this year.

El Niño, a climate phenomenon characterised by warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean, have brought below-average rainfall to the Philippines.

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Weather forecast for the Philippines

The Philippines weather agency issued a forecast on Monday, indicating that temperatures in the capital region could soar to 37 degrees Celsius over the next three days.

Additionally, the agency warned of a high heat index, which combines temperature and humidity, reaching a potentially dangerous level of 45 degrees Celsius, a range it classes as "dangerous" as conditions can trigger heat stroke from prolonged exposure.

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This condition could persist until the second week of May, according to Glaiza Escullar, a state weather forecaster, speaking to DZBB radio station.

(Inputs from Reuters and AFP)