Flooding continues in 31 villages in Cotabato

COTABATO CITY—The flood woes here continued through Wednesday even as the sun finally showed up after days of heavy rains as more excess water from Mindanao’s tributaries finally found its way here.

For more than a week now, 31 of the city’s 37 villages had been under water and the floods have barely subsided when fresh inundation took place, Mayor Japal Guiani Jr. reported.

He said the fresh wave of water affected anew 33,472 families, many of whom had barely moved into their previously flooded communities.

The evacuees are currently housed in such shelters as school buildings.

Guiani said to ease the woes of the flood victims, the city government distributed food and sleeping materials, including tents and mats.

The city government, he said, has been using the five percent calamity fund drawn from the city’s coffers a few days ago.

Calamities

Dr. Tahir Sulaik, chief of the Maguindanao health office, said a similar situation exists in the province and children, women and the elderly have been suffering the most.

In North Cotabato, four towns are also trying to deal with the flooding.

Just last week, the devastation forced the governments of Tulunan, M’lang and Kidapawan City to declare their areas under a state of calamity.

In Kabacan, North Cotabato, the Sangguniang Bayan has also approved a resolution declaring a state of calamity in the town.

David Don Saure, municipal disaster risk and reduction management officer, said 30 villages have been flooded water from the Pulangui River.

Two persons were also killed last week, including a 10-year-old pupil of the Kabacan Central Pilot Elementary School.

Crop damage

At least 300 hectares of crops in the rice-producing town were also damaged.

In Glan, Sarangani, Gov. Steve Solon said the provincial government has decided to relocate some 160 families from the coastal area of Barangay Burias.

Solon said the neighborhood of Sitio Kimangyaw had been identified by the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) as a danger zone.

“It is best for these families be relocated since calamities are coming in real time,” he said.

Flooding in the Cotabato areas came as Typhoon “Labuyo”, the strongest to hit the Philippines this year, slammed into Aurora province and provinces in Northern Luzon, causing massive destruction. Charlie Señase, Williamor Magbanua and Allan Nawal, Inquirer Mindanao