COTABATO CITY, July 20 — Eighteen of Cotabato City’s 37 villages have been underwater since Wednesday due to torrential rains affecting Soccsksargen Region and Maguindanao province, officials said Thursday.
Mayor Cynthia Guiani Sayadi has ordered all village officials to closely monitor the water level of affected villages, mostly located on the eastern part of the city.
Sayadi said 11 public schools have been flooded and classes were suspended Thursday.
About 200 villages in Maguindanao’s 36 municipalities are also underwater brought about by the inter-tropical convergence zone affecting southern Mindanao.
”The floods here come from Maguindanao because we serve as catch basin of floods from the Liguasan marshland,” Sayadi said during meeting with local and village officials that she posted live on Facebook to reach more people.
”I appeal to residents residing beside rivers and tributaries criss-crossing the city to evacuate, especially the elders and pregnant mothers,” Sayadi said in her message to city residents.
Flooded villages are Barangay Poblacion Mother, Poblacion 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, and 9, Barangay Rosary Heights 3, 6, 7, 8, and 9, Barangay Tamontaka Mother, Tamontaka 2, 3, 4, 5, and Barangay Bagua 3 with about 12,000 affected families.
Sayadi said members of the city disaster risk reduction and management council and other concerned government agencies are now working to ensure no one is harmed and no properties will be damaged by the unfolding calamity.
”We don’t want something bad happening to our people when we have all the opportunity to respond,” Sayadi said, adding barangay disaster units must act.
”We are closely monitoring the water level situation, we have our emergency food assistance ready,” she added.
Cotabato City, situated in the middle of Rio Grande de Mindanao and Tamontaka River, serves as gateway of flood water from upstream reaching up to the borders of Maguindanao with North Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat.
Even if it does not rain in the city and bad weather is being experienced in South Cotabato, Davao del Sur, Sultan Kudarat and North Cotabato, the city will experience flooding, environment officials said.
It is because the water from the marshland will find its way to the Moro Gulf via Cotabato City’s low lying villages.
Worst, water level could go as high as waist level if sea water level rises as flood water rushes downstream.
One of the recent worst floods that hit the city was in 2011 when flood water submerged Notre Dame University compound and the communities surrounding it. Even Quezon Avenue in the heart of Cotabato City and the supermarket area were underwater.
City officials hope it will not happen again.
Floods also hit the low lying villages of Midsayap, Pigcawayan, Libungan, Aleosan, Pikit, Kabacan, Matalam, Mlang and Tulunan, all facing Liguasan marshland. (EOF/PNA)
