Cotabato town under state of calamity due to floods, slides

INQUIRER FILES

KIDAPAWAN CITY, COTABATO — The local government of Magpet town in Cotabato province has declared a state of calamity due to flash floods and landslides brought by moderate to heavy rains affecting at least 123 families, particularly in Barangay Bantac, a local official said on Tuesday.

Mayor Laurence Jay Gonzaga said the declaration would allow the local government to use the town’s disaster risk response funds for immediate assistance to the affected families and rehabilitation of roads affected by the landslides.

Gonzaga said the affected families are now temporarily staying at the evacuation center in Barangay Poblacion, while there are displaced families that occupied the Camacop church as temporary shelter.

“We already responded to the immediate needs of the evacuees by providing them food and other necessities while they are staying at the temporary shelters,” Gonzaga added.

Gonzaga said that reports from the town’s disaster response office show that at least 20 houses made from light materials were washed out by flood waters when the Bantac River overflowed.

Farm animals drowned, and rubber and banana plantations were devastated because of landslides, particularly in Barangay Mahongcog.

Gonzaga said landslides were reported in Balite, Amabel, Basac, Doles, and Manobisa.

“We have already sent our heavy equipment in these areas to clear the affected roads,” Gonzaga said.

The mayor also confirmed that a child was rescued by his father when their house was wiped out by the land mass in Mahongcog.

A 30-meter stretch of the main dike of the Bantac River was damaged because of the huge trees swept by flood waters. This gave way for the waters to inundate the nearby houses.