50,000 residents affected by floods in 2 Maguindanao del Sur towns

A stranded resident of Pagalungan in Maguindanao del Sur receives food packs on Sunday, June 23, from the provincial government following massive flooding in town due to heavy downpour. —photo by Kodjack Pakan Andoy

COTABATO CITY, BARMM, Philippines — Floods brought about by the southwest monsoon in the past days have affected 10,024 families (estimated 50,000 individuals) in two towns of Maguindanao del Sur although no evacuation happened, a disaster official said..

Ameer Jehad ‘Tim’ Ambolodto, Maguindanao del Sur Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (PDRRM) Officer, said 12 villages in Pagalungan town were submerged in floodwaters, affecting at least 6,692 families while in nearby Datu Montawal, the sudden rise of water level caused waters in major tributaries to overflow, flooding 11 barangays and affecting 3,332 households.

READ: 85 houses destroyed by strong winds, heavy rains in Cotabato

Both Pagalungan and Datu Montawal towns have always been the catchment area of the Mindanao river basin, causing these areas to be flooded especially during the rainy season.

“As of now, only these towns have submitted the situational reports of their areas so we are still monitoring other municipalities,” Ambolodto said.

Despite the massive flash floods, no casualty nor evacuation was reported.

The provincial government of Maguindanao del Sur had distributed food packs to affected families.

Ambolodto said the disaster office had intensified the monitoring and early warning signals in the villages, especially in identified flash-flood prone areas.

“I am appealing to the public to cooperate and follow the advisories of their municipal disaster risk reduction and management offices for easier rescue missions in case the situation worsens,” Ambolodto added.