By Keith Bacongco
DAVAO CITY – A massive flooding has affected at least 78,000 individuals in the low-lying towns of Maguindanao del Sur in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) due to torrential rains from the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) since May 14.
A report dated May 17 from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said flooding has affected 78,190 persons from 47 barangays in the towns of Ampatuan, Datu Abdullah Sangki, Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Shariff Aguak, and Shariff Saydona Mustapha.
The NDRRMC is validating reports that three houses were reportedly damaged due to a landslide in Ampatuan, which has the highest number of affected persons with 24,930.
Affected towns are located in the periphery of the 200,000-hectare Ligawasan Marsh that straddles across the provinces of Cotabato, Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur, and Sultan Kudarat.
Ligawasan Marsh serves as the catch basin of waterways that flow from the mountains of Bukidnon and Sultan Kudarat.
Local government officials and concerned agencies have acknowledged that the recurring flood is due to heavy deposit of silt in the Ligawasan Marsh area as well as in all the river systems connected to the catch basin.
Over the weekend, the Office of Civil Defense-BARMM reported a wooden bridge was damaged in Barangay Bagumbong, Mamasapano town, Maguindanao del Sur and has affected the mobility of people.
The OCD-BARMM also said that hundreds of hectares land planted to corn, rice, peanuts, and other crops in Sitio Talisawa, Datu Abdullah Sangki were also flooded. Validation on the estimated cost of damage to infrastructure and crops are still ongoing.
OCD-BARMM chief Joel Mamon, in coordination with Tactical Operations Group-12 and the Division Public Affairs Office of the 6th Infantry Division, conducted an aerial survey of flood-hit areas in Maguindanao del Sur over the weekend to determine the extent of damage in affected localities.
