Cotabato City under state of calamity
Breaking News • 04:12 AM Wed Sep 17, 2014
1,235
By:
Edwin Fernandez
(Photo by John Unson)
COTABATO CITY
(Sept. 16) – Eighteen of Cotabato City’s 37 barangays have been placed under state
of calamity following two weeks of flooding, the city government today said.
Lawyer Cynthia
Guiani-Sayadi, city administrator, said the floods that submerged low lying
villages have affected about 15,000 individuals.
But not all
of them have evacuated to other areas, most of them are home-based affected
families,” Sayadi said in a radio interview.
She said about
40 families decided to evacuate and temporarily staying at the barangay hall of
Poblacion 6.
Flood water
rose to as high as knee-deep in some low-lying villages, mostly in the eastern
part of the city.
Cotabato City
has been the catch basin of flood water from Liguasan marshland which receives
water from major rivers in North Cotabato, Maguindanao and South Cotabato.
It may not be
raining heavily in the city but when the surrounding provinces experience
moderate to heavy down pour, the city water level would rise.
Since last
week, more than 5,000 packs of relief assistance had been extended to affected
families, the city disaster office said.
Earlier,
Maguindanao province was also placed under state of calamity after 26 of its 36
towns were flooded due to typhoon Luis.” (Edwin Fernandez)