Floods eased in more Cotabato villages as soldiers clear river of water hyacinths

COTABATO CITY, Philippines –  Flooding has been eased in more villages here as of Sunday, as the military removed more than 40 percent of the thick water hyacinths that have been clogging the Rio Grande de Mindanao.

Colonel Prudencio Asto, spokesperson for the military’s 6th Infantry Division, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer by phone that government troops and civilian volunteers have already removed eight of at least 20 hectares of water hyacinths that clogged the river.

“Right now, only 15 to 17 low-lying villages out of 33 (that have been under water the past days) are submerged in flood waters. We hope this will continue. However, our problem is that at night, tons of water lilies from the marsh are massing towards the river,” Asto said.

“We have to do something before it’s too late. The entire city will sink forever in the next 10 years if we don’t find solution,” he added.

Water hyacinths at the Rio Grande de Mindanao, the second largest river system in the country and second longest river with a length of approximately 231.8 miles, are clogging the river which runs through several provinces in the region.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo recommended on Friday the use of explosive to disperse the hyacyinths.

“Why don’t you try using explosives to destroy water lilies and make it easy for workers to remove them from the river,” he told local officials.

The military has discouraged the use of explosives as it could destroy the river’s ecosystem, Asto said.

Instead, Asto said, 6th ID chief Brig. Gen. Rey Ardo sent hundreds of soldiers armed with shovels, chainsaws, bladed instruments and even plain wood to help the local government and public works personnel in removing aquatic plants.

The floods came as the city prepares for its 52nd foundation day on Monday. Local officials are contemplating of canceling the activities for the Araw ng Kutabato and, instead, used the funds for relief operations to affected families.

Cotabato Archbishop Orlando Quevedo, chair of the Presidential Task Force in Mindanao River Basin, said the flood in Cotabato City was triggered by the overflowing of the Liguasan marshland, which served as the catch basin of river water from North Cotabato, Bukidnon, Davao del Sultan Kudarat.

The flood, including debris and water hyacinths, ended up clogging water ways around Cotabato City and its environs.

Quevedo appealed to good Samaritans to extend help for the displaced families, some of whom have already contracted various diseases, mostly respiratory and bowel disorders and skin rashes.

Even with the brief relief because of the receding floodwater, displaced residents remain in evacution centers or with relatives and friends living on higher ground.

As of Saturday, there were 25,375 families displaced in this city alone.

In nearby Maguindanao and North Cotabato, the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao government reported 30,000 families were displaced by the floods.