3 days of rain destroy 23 houses in 6 villages

COTABATO CITY—Three days of moderate to heavy rains have flooded at least six villages, displacing 4,000 families and destroying at least 23 houses in the town of Kalamansig in Sultan Kudarat province.

The rains, according to weather specialists, were brought by intertropical convergence zones hovering near Mindanao.

Florante Mulod, resident of Barangay Sta. Maria, said the floods hit the villages of Poral, Obial, Limulan, Sta Maria, Hinalaan and Cadiz.

Also flooded are the villages of Salaman and Poloy-Poloy in Lebak, also in Sultan Kudarat.

Kalamansig Mayor Ronan Garcia said at least 4,255 families have been displaced.

At least 23 houses were destroyed by flash floods, the mayor said.

Mulod said at least 37 Manobo families living on the banks of the Limulan River in Sta. Maria evacuated to the Zone of Peace and Development building at the Sta. Maria village hall.

Disaster officials said power was cut off in the villages after strong winds toppled power lines on Saturday in Barangay Limulan where generators of the Sultan Kudarat Electric Cooperative are located.

Many parts of Mindanao are still suffering from the effects of a prolonged drought brought about by an El Niño episode that weather experts said would be followed by a period of prolonged rains known as La Niña. —EDWIN FERNANDEZ