Philippine settlement submerged by dam reappears due to drought
A centuries-old settlement submerged by the construction of a dam in the northern Philippines in the 1970s has reappeared as water levels drop due to a drought affecting swathes of the country.
The ruins in the middle of Pantabangan Dam in Nueva Ecija province are a tourist draw, even as the region swelters in extreme heat.
Parts of a church, municipal hall marker and tombstones began to resurface in March after several months of "almost no rain", said Marlon Paladin, a supervising engineer for the National Irrigation Administration.
It is the sixth time the nearly 300-year-old settlement has resurfaced since the reservoir was created to provide irrigation water for local farmers and generate hydro-power.
"This is the longest time (it was visible) based on my experience," Paladin told AFP.
The reservoir's water level has fallen nearly 50 metres (164 feet) from its normal high level of 221 metres, figures from the state weather forecaster show.
The months of March, April and May are typically the hottest and driest in the archipelago nation, but conditions this year have been exacerbated by the El Niño weather phenomenon.
About half of the country's provinces, including Nueva Ecija, are officially in drought.
Tourists wanting a close-up of the ruins pay around 300 pesos ($5.00) to fishermen for a short boat ride out to the temporary island in the middle of the reservoir.
The ruins in the middle of Pantabangan Dam in Nueva Ecija province are a tourist draw.