75,000 individuals affected by floods in Maguindanao
COTABATO CITY, July 2 (PNA) -- More than 15,000 families in Maguindanao have been adversely affected by flood caused by continuous heavy rainfall these past days, disaster officials in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Thursday said.
The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) and ARMM Humanitarian Emergency Action Response Team (ARMM-HEART), flooding has been observed in 68 barangays affecting 15,099 families, or 75,495 individuals, in 10 towns in Maguindanao.
The affected towns are Ampatuan, Datu Salibo, Rajah Buayan, Shariff Saydona Mustapha, Buluan, Mangudadatu, Pandag, Datu Paglas, Datu Abdullah Sangki and Sultan Sa Barongis, which suffered most with 2,913 families, or 14,565 individuals, affected or displaced.
On June 30, the town council of Sultan sa Barongis declared a state of calamity.
The flooding also disrupted classes in 23 public schools affecting 8,111 elementary and secondary students and 178 teachers.
Around 487 hectares of farmland were also damaged with losses amounting to at least PHP10 million.
As part of its relief assistance, the ARMM-HEART distributed on Thursday, July 2, food packs, school supplies, and hygiene kits to the affected families in Sultan Sa Barongis.
OCD-ARMM augmented the assistance by donating 1,635 pieces of slippers and 2,000 pieces of pails and dippers.
Lawyer Kirby Abdullah, ARMM-HEART focal person, said the same assistance will also be extended to other affected municipalities.
“Tuloy-tuloy ang tulong natin sa mga apektado ng pagbaha hanggang kailangan (Our assistance will continue in areas affected by the floods as long as such assistance is needed),†said Abdullah.
He said the agency’s operating fund and the region’s calamity fund will cover the necessary expenses for the relief operation.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), the downpours experienced in Maguindanao since June 24 were due to an Inter Tropical Convergence Zone.
Lynette Estandarte, Maguindanao budget officer, told reporters that the province aid agency had dispersed more than three tons of food and non-food relief supplies to the displaced villagers of Sultan sa Barongis and nearby towns.
Aid workers also distributed pails, kitchen wares and sleeping mats to evacuees.
Anticipating more communities to be flood as rain continue, Estandarte said relief workers are now packing food supplies that include canned goods, instant noodles and rice for distribution to flood victims in the 10 other flooded Maguindanao towns.
Agriculture officials are yet to determine the extent of damages to agriculture.
PAGASA said that moderate to heavy rains in the region and in other parts of Mindanao will continue due to a tropical depression expected to enter the Philippine area of responsibility by next week. (PNA)
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