Over 10,000 families displaced by Maguindanao floods

COTABATO CITY  – More than 10,000 families have been affected and displaced by the floods that hit all the villages of Datu Montawal and Pagalungan in Maguindanao on Tuesday, disaster officials today said.

The floods that inundated all the 11 barangays of Datu Montawal came after the Kabacan river overflowed due to heavy downpour in Bukidnon and North Cotabato.

Montawal, a town with population of over 37,300 per 2020 census, is situated beside the Kabacan river and near the Malitubog-Maridagao rivers.

Balumol Kadiding, Datu Montawal municipal disaster officer, told reporters most of the flood victims have moved to safer grounds.

“But many of them are home-based and just wait for the water to recede,” Kadiding said, adding that no casualty was reported.

He stressed that this is a recurring problem for the people of Datu Montawal because the town served as catch-basin of river water from upstream or from North Cotabato and Bukidnon.

The water flows toward the Maguindanao marshland.

Kaylan Abiden, a resident of Barangay Bulit, told reporters she was accustomed to this kind of problem.

“We have been in this situation since I was a kid,” a 37 year old Abiden said.

“We will just stay in our house and wait for the water to recede, it will go away in a day or two,” she said, adding she expect aid to come anytime soon from the government.

Ali Mudin, 6 years old of Pikit, North Cotabato has drowned after the banca he and his family was riding capsized in Rio Grande de Mindanao. His mother and 12 year old sister were rescued.

Mayor Salik Mamasabulod of Pagalungan told reporters about 40,000 individuals in his town have been affected by floods. Pagalungan has a population of about 46,000 as of 2020 census.

Kadiding said relief operations are going on to cushion the impact of the calamity to affected families.

He added the town disaster council is set to convene to consider recommending the declaration of calamity.