11 towns in Maguindanao flooded

COTABATO CITY, Philippines — Heavy rains over the past few days have swamped at least 11 towns in Maguindanao, flooding the homes of more or less 7,000 families, officials said Wednesday.

Laisa Alamia, executive secretary of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and  chairman of the ARMM Humanitarian Emergency Action and Response Team (HEART), said in a telephone interview the water level in the Liguasan Marsh has been rising following days of  moderate to heavy downpours in the provinces of North Cotabato, South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and Maguindanao.

Runoff  from the mountain ranges of North Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat flown down to Maguindanao, raising the water level in the marsh.

AFP FILE PHOTO

The affected towns include Ampatuan, Rajah Buayan, Mamasapano, Datu Abdullah Sangki, Datu Piang, Datu Salibo, Shariff Saidona Mustapha, Datu Montawal, Pagalungan, Northern Kabuntalan and Sultan Kudarat.

These municipalities are situated within the vicinity of the 220,000-hectare Liguasan Marsh, which serves as catch basin for floodwaters from North Cotabato through the Kabacan River and Sultan Kudarat and South Cotabato through the Allah River.

Alamia said the ARMM’s quick response teams remain on standby in the event the floods worsen in the affected areas.

Alamia said that aside from displacing villagers, the rising floodwaters were also damaging agricultural crops. Damage was still being assessed.

Severely affected by the flooding were the adjoining villages of Pagatin 1, Pagatin 2 and Dasawao in Shariff Saydona Mustapha, a perennial flood area.

Bai Hamida Amba, Saydona town disaster council chair, said classes have been suspended due to floods.

Amba said in a telephone interview that in Barangay (village) Pagatin 1, about 387 families had  evacuated to higher ground, while 164 families had left ft

Barangay Pagatin 2.

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