The Magat Dam is a multi-purpose dam which serves as a source of hydroelectric power and as a source of irrigation water for about 85,000 hectares of agricultural lands.

The Magat hydroelectric power plant is a four-unit powerhouse with a rated capacity of 360 megawatts. The hydroelectric plant is a peaking power plant, which means that it only operates when there is a high demand for electricity in the Luzon power grid, to which the plant is connected. The water stored in the reservoir is enough to supply about two months of normal energy requirements.

Magat Dam is a large rock-fill dam on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. The dam is located on Magat River, a major tributary of Cagayan River. Construction of the dam started in 1975 and completed in 1982. Magat Dam is one of the largest dams in the Philippines and has two primary purposes: as a source of irrigation water and as a provider of hydroelectric power.

The project was jointly financed by the Philippine Government and the World Bank which extended a 150M U.S Dollars loan to finance the foreign exchange requirement.

In addition, a 9M U.S. dollars loan from Bahrain was obtained for the purchase of other equipment for the diversion tunnels, soils laboratory and model testing.

Total project cost is 3.4B pesos(yr. 1975).

The irrigation facilities, including the reservoir, the intake gates to the hydroelectric plant, and the dam itself, is owned and managed by the National Irrigation Authority (NIA) while the hydroelectric plant itself was owned by the National Power Corporation (Napocor).[2] Under the Electric Power Industry Reforms Act of 2001 (Republic Act No. 9136), the Magat Dam hydroelectric plant underwent a privatization process. As a result, the plant's ownership and operation was turned over to SN Aboitiz Power Inc. (SNAP), a joint venture of a local company, Aboitiz Equity Venture (AEV), and the Norwegian SN Power Invest (SN Power) in April 2007. SNAP won the privatization bidding in 2006.

After the privatization of the hydroelectric plant, the provinces of Ifugao and Isabela had a dispute over the tax resulting from the transfer of the plant to SNAP. An agreement was made to divide the tax evenly, about 57 million pesos each, though some further disputes remain over the jurisdiction of various elements of the dam.
Magat Dam
Locale Alfonso Lista, Ifugao / Ramon, Isabela
Construction began 1978
Opening date 1982
Dam and spillways
Type of dam Rock-fill dam
Length 4,160 m
Height 114 m
Impounds Magat River
Reservoir
Surface area 117 km²
Max. water depth 193 meters
Power station
Installed capacity 360 MW