COTABATO CITY, Philippines -- A state of calamity has been declared over two municipalities of Sultan Kudarat due to flashfloods that destroyed some P200 million worth of agricultural crops and work animals.

Sultan Kudarat lone district Representative Pax Mangudadatu blamed the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for its failure to construct drainage canals along the national highway linking Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat provinces.

"We have been asking the DPWH to act on our request for how many years now," Mangudadatu told reporters during an early Monday visit to Esperanza town, one of the two municipalities submerged by flood water since Sunday. The other town is Isulan.

"Look at the highway, the water is knee-high, surely the crops there were damaged," he said, pointing at a vast track of rice fields on both sides of the Maguindanao-Sultan Kudarat highway.

Mangudadatu also blamed the non-action of DPWH over requests from local government units of Sultan Kudarat and South Cotabato to check on the swollen Allah river.

Allah river originates in South Cotabato and passes through Isulan in Sultan Kudarat en route to Maguindanao's Liguasan marsh.

"The river is very shallow, so naturally water would change course and find its way to farmlands and residential areas," he said.

The lawmaker, who served as three-termer provincial governor of Sultan Kudarat, also blamed the logging activities years back and the continued slash-and-burn practice of some farmers.

"We are suffering the brunt of climate change," he said, adding that his office has started releasing emergency assistance to flood victims, mostly lowly farmers.

Maguindanao low-lying communities have been flooded too as the province serves as catch-basin of water from Allah river.

Mangudadatu said the DPWH has to act now or a bigger problem would occur in the future.