Kidapawan City-Latest report of National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) shows that evacuees in Central Mindanao swelled due to ongoing encounters between the lawless Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and government troops.
NDCC reported that the previous 110,994 families which is equivalent to 531,949 dependents, has gone up to 127,164 families or 611,753 dependents that were affected in the different parts of region 10, 12 and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
Seven municipalities of Lanao del Sur and two in Sultan Kudarat were reportedly affected by separate new encounters of rogue MILF rebels and military.
There are also affected families in Tangkal, Lanao del Norte, Ampatuan, Datu Piang, Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Datu Abdullah Sangki, Mamasapano and Sultan sa Barongis in Maguindanao, Sultan Kudarat, Sultan Mastura and Datu Odin Sinsuat in Shariff Kabunsuan province.
An estimated 1,304 houses were destroyed, 1,223 were totally damaged and 81 houses were partially damaged in some places particularly in Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, and Shariff Kabunsuan Province.
Almost 147 million pesos of relief assistance was given by the government and non-government organizations to the affected families of calamities.
Meanwhile, the Cotabato provincial government, World Food Programme (WFP) and other church organizations conducted relief operations for the evacuees of Datu Piang, Maguindanao.
Evacuees received 25 kilos of rice and other non-food items in different evacuation centers of the said municipality.
Datu Piang municipal mayor Samier Uy said that some 9,800 families benefited from this relief operations.
He also thanked all those who helped and supported the evacuees especially governor Jesus Sacdalan of Cotabato province, WFP, different church organizations and other non-government organizations. (EBC/CLC-ICC Kidapawan City)
