The Philippines is in the middle of its warm and dry season, which is exacerbated by El Nino or the unusual warming of surface waters in the Pacific Ocean. The archipelago nation's entire east coast faces the Pacific.

The South East Asian nation is one of the most at risk countries in the world from the effects of climate change. Its wet season can bring about monster storms, like Super Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, one of the most powerful in history.

"We are seeing that our dam levels will drop, including in Pantabangan and other areas," Mr Estareja said.

The water level there has fallen by nearly 50m from its normal high level of 221m, based on official data.

The ruins began to resurface in March as the area had been receiving almost no rain, Mr Paladin told AFP. The re-emergence of the ruins have drawn tourists to the town, some 202km (125 miles) north of the capital, Manila.