“When flashfloods hit Cagayan de Oro and Bukidnon, it usually overflows Pulangi River,” Gov. Taliño-Mendoza said, adding that the towns are amongst the low-lying areas of the province.
By DANILDA L. FUSILERO
Davao Today
KIDAPAWAN CITY, Cotabato, Philippines — About 200 families of Montawal town in Maguindanao province and some 100 hectares of rice and corn farms in this province were devastated as flashfloods coming from the province of Bukidnon and Cagayan de Oro City overflowed Pulangi River, three days after typhoon Pablo (International name: Bopha) left Mindanao.
In Kabacan town, 12 villages along Pulangi River and surrounding villages of Liguasan Marsh were flooded forcing some 1,730 residents to flee their homes.
North Cotabato Governor Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza said that villages situated along the Pulangi River in Kabacan, Pikit and Pigcawayan towns were inundated, as floodwaters entered their houses forcing residents to evacuate to the national highway and village halls.
“When flashfloods hit Cagayan de Oro and Bukidnon, it usually overflows Pulangi River,” Taliño-Mendoza said, adding that the towns are amongst the low-lying areas of the province.
From Bukidnon province, Pulangi River passes through Carmen and Kabacan towns and drains into the Liguasan Marsh. Montawal is part of the catchment basin of the Liguasan Marsh.
Kabacan’s Social Welfare and Development officer Susan Macalipat reported that affected with floodwaters are homes, school buildings and rice fields. Severely affected villages of Kabacan are Tamped, Semone, Kayaga, Kilagasan, Magatos, Lower Paatan, Cuyapon, Aringay, Simbuhay, Nangaan, Dalapuan and Salipungan — all are either located along Pulangi River or near the Liguasan Marsh.
“Pulangi River overflowed; floodwaters entered schools, residences and submerged the ricefields,” Macalipat said.
The municipal agriculture is due to release its report on crops damages. Kabacan is a pre-dominantly rice field town.
According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council, Typhoon Pablo left some 418 dead persons; 445 injured and 383 missing as of December 7, 5 PM. Pablo affected some 1,033,364 families in 1,862 villages in 26 provinces of regions IV-B, VI, VII, VIII, X, XI and Caraga. It also pegged initial damages at over PHP 4 million. (Danilda L. Fusilero/davaotoday.com)
