Canili-Diayo Dam

The Canili-Diayo Dam and Reservoir, a tributary of the  Pantabangan Dam, is probably the most picturesque irrigation dam in the country.  Situated on the border of Nueva Vizcaya and Aurora provinces, the Canili River Reservoir, on the left coming from Manila,  is part of the town of Alfonso Castaneda (Nueva Vizcaya) while the Diayo River Reservoir is part of Maria Aurora (Aurora).

Great view of the mountains from the dam

The dam reservoir

Built in the 1970s, the dam’s earth dike is part of the Pantabangan-Canili-Basal-Baler Road.  This bypass road was originally a two-lane road but now access is restricted to one vehicle at a time to minimize vibration on the earth fill dam walls and protect the dam from deterioration. The direction of flow depends on who approached the other end on the road first.

The Pantabangan-Canili-Basal-Baler Road

To prevent speeding, a number of humps were also placed on the road.  There is also a 10-ton vehicle weight limit being imposed. Trailers and large trucks are banned. Big trucks pass through the old route – Nueva Ecija-Aurora Road passing through Bongabon town (Nueva Ecija) and San Luis town (Aurora).