Submerged Philippine settlement reappears as drought hits area

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 Mr 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 farmers and generate hydro-power.

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

The reservoir's water level has fallen nearly 50m from its normal high level of 221m, figures from the state weather forecaster show.