Fighting, floods could bring famine to South, bishop fears
By Jerome Aning
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 04:27:00 09/17/2008
Filed Under: Mindanao peace process, Armed conflict
MANILA, Philippines—The on-going armed conflict between the military and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) compounded by months of monsoon flooding could bring famine to parts of Mindanao, a Roman Catholic bishop warned Tuesday.
Cotabato Auxiliary Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo said local harvests in Central Mindanao provinces have been threatened by flood since July and now war.
In an interview with reporters in Manila, the prelate said flood water levels of the Rio Grande River have been steadily rising in the last five years, probably due to siltation caused by deforestation and mining.
“Unless flood waters go down, the next harvest, which is supposed to be this month or next, will fail. Farmers will not be able to plant again until January or February, resulting in a food crisis,” Bagaforo said.
He appealed for more humanitarian aid for Cotabato, noting there seems to be a “donation fatigue” among local donors, who have been helping evacuees for months. He said second and special collections during Church masses have been dwindling because of hard times.
“The people of Cotabato are tired of giving because their resources have been depleted severely. We need food—rice, sardines, noodles—and medicines. Evacuation centers are in dire need of clean drinking water,” Bagaforo said.
Collateral damage
He added that Cotabato folk were afraid the looming famine might lead to a rise in crimes, with the hungry resorting to stealing and banditry.
“In fact, there is fear now among Christian communities where the harvest is projected to be good. Militias there are guarding the crops because there has been talk that the MILF would attack them,” Bagaforo said.
The bishop said that while he supported the hunt for MILF commanders guilty of atrocities, the military should be careful not to inflict “collateral damage” on civilians.
Bagaforo said he was concerned that the conflict might escalate further with the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan and the government’s apparent shift in priorities from peace in Mindanao to the approval of the national budget.
The prelate said he was afraid the Arroyo administration might just “pass on” the task of working for lasting peace in Mindanao to the next President.
The National Disaster Coordinating Center said Tuesday that more than 108,000 families or 514,519 people have been affected or displaced in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and the central and southern parts of Mindanao since hostilities erupted several weeks ago.
The fighting in 15 villages in North Cotabato has spread to 66 municipalities in 11 provinces across Central Mindanao.
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