Maguindanao Gov. Esmael “Toto” Mangudadatu sees dredging as flood solution

COTABATO CITY, Philippines—Maguindanao Gov. Esmael “Toto” Mangudadatu is seeking an P80 million loan to buy a machine to dredge the province’s rivers and tributaries which the governor said was the solution to floods.

The floods, blamed on siltation in the province’s rivers and tributaries, have brought tens of millions of pesos in damages to crops and infrastructure and displaced tens of thousands of residents.

“The need to procure this heavy equipment is urgent,” Mangudadatu said of the planned purchase of a 350-horsepower machine with a maximum dredging capacity of 5,000 gallons per minute.

“Our constituents will continue to suffer unless we do something to address the problem,” he said.

Mangudadatu said he was just waiting for the resolution of the provincial board in support of the proposed loan.

Since last week, 16 towns of Maguindanao have been under water following torrential rains that led to the swelling of Liguasan Marsh and its major tributaries.

Mangudadatu said the tributaries were swelling mainly because of accumulated silt, which needed to be removed.

Mangudadatu said the boat dredger, if acquired, will start work along the Pulangi River, Lake Buluan and the surrounding Liguasan Marsh.

Aside from dredging rivers, Mangudadatu said there was a need to adopt a massive reforestation project that would also economically benefit residents.

He said planting palm and rubber trees could prove to be a good start in the planned greening project.

Loreto Rirao, head of the regional disaster risk management council in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, said there was also a need to remove water hyacinths clogging major tributaries so that floodwaters, which reached waist-deep in many areas, would subside.

Rirao said authorities were trying to remove 10 hectares of water lilies in the Taviran River.

On Monday, Maguindanao officials met with disaster officials to discuss ways to help more than 200,000 people driven out of their homes by the floods in 16 towns, according to Rirao.

He said among the immediate solutions seen was the removal of water hyacinths clogging major river systems so that water will freely flow into the sea.

“This is a gargantuan task that needs sustained government funding and community involvement,” Rirao said.

He said since late last week, clearing work was ongoing 24 hours a day in a portion of the Taviran River in Mother Kabuntalan town.

So far, Rirao said, civilian volunteers and soldiers had removed a quarter of the estimated eight hectares of water hyacinths that accumulated in the river.

In this city, Mayor Japal Guiani Jr. also called for an emergency meeting with village chiefs over the same problem. Charlie Señase and Jeoffrey Maitem, Inquirer Mindanao