COTABATO CITY (September 23) – The regional government is providing for the needs of more than 61,000 flood-affected families in Maguindanao del Sur, according to interim chief minister Abdulraof Macacua of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
“Heavily affected are the towns of Pagalungan, Datu Montawal, Shariff Saydona Mustapha, Datu Piang, Datu Salibo, Sultan sa Barongis, Mangudadatu, and Gen. Salipada K. Pendatun,” according to a statement issued Tuesday.
Macacua led the delivery of food and non-food supplies to some of the more than 61,000 families, or roughly 306,000 people, impacted by the tragedy on Monday. He also met with provincial local officials and received flood situation reports from disaster responders.
According to the Maguindanao del Sur Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), the majority of affected families remain at home, while others have been moved to higher ground.
According to PDRRMO Director Windy Anne Joy Beaty, the low-lying communities of Ampatuan, Shariff Aguak, Datu Abdullah Sangki, Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Paglat, Pandag, and Mamasapano have all been flooded.
Governor Datu Ali Midtimbang of Maguindanao del Sur has approved the provincial board’s decision to declare a state of calamity due to flooding.
If the recommendation is approved, the provincial government will be allowed to increase its flood relief efforts.
Patients and others who are watching them are still at the provincial capitol building in Buluan town, where floodwaters close to the Buluan District Hospital (BDH) compound have not yet subsided.
According to Dr. Ariff Baguindali, chief of the Integrated Provincial Health Office-Maguindanao, more than 200 of the 300 patients were relocated to the provincial capitol building after floods swamped the BDH wards and grounds late last week.
