Several villages flooded

FLOOD PROBLEM --- Residents of RS Buan Street at Barangay Poblacion 1 in Cotabato City soak in flood waters following recent heavy rainfalls which submerged   24 barangays in the city. These youngsters though have to be away from the almost waist-deep flood or run the risk of water-borne diseases. (PHOTO COURTESY OF MARIE BHERT A. LAO – MINDANAO EXPOSE’)

COTABATO CITY --- Around 18,684 families in this city have been affected by flooding due to the recent heavy and continued downpours resulting from the Inter Tropical Convergence Zone, the rainy season, and overflowing of the river system.

The number of affected families was gathered from the Office of Social Welfare and Development Services (OSWDS) as of July 22.

Halima Satol-Ibrahim, city information officer, said the OSWDS has deployed its staff to the 24 barangays in the city that went submerged in water to distribute food packs, including essential non-food items, and further validate the situation of the affected households.

“Barangays Poblacion 7 and 9 are the ones mostly affected with 2,022 and 1,321 households flooded, respectively,” said Satol-Ibrahim.

Other barangays affected by the flooding are Barangay Poblacion Mother with 1,374 families, Poblacion 1 (2,105), Poblacion 2 (883),Poblacion 3 (383),andPoblacion 8 (1,045).

Rosary Heights 2 with 20 families, Rosary Heights 3 (567), Rosary Heights 5 (310), Rosary Heights 6 (90), Rosary Heights 7 (690), Rosary Heights 8 (566 families), and Rosary Heights 9 (530);

Tamontaka Mother with 1,232 families, Tamontaka 1 (741) Tamontaka 2 (510), Tamontaka 3 (527),Tamontaka 4 (750 families), and Tamontaka 5 (315);

Bagua Mother with 412 families,Bagua 2 (1,168), and Bagua 3 (547).

In Kalanganan 1, families numbering 576 are also affected by the flooding.

Earlier, dozens of families have also evacuated to higher areas and to the identified evacuation centers in their barangay,most of them from the riverbanks and other low-lying areas in the city.

City Mayor Atty. Frances Cynthia J. Guiani-Sayadi said during a meeting with the barangay chairpersons and other concerned departments of the city government that they have identified several items that must be distributed to the victims as soon as possible.

“These include food packs, ointment for itching, medicines for common colds and cough, portalets, tarpaulins, and lumber to build temporary shelters,” said Mayor Guiani-Sayadi.

Accordingly, 10 schools are flooded,causing the suspension of classes in some areas, among these the Diocolano Elementary School, DatuKalantunganSema Elementary School, MB Mohammadali Elementary School, Pagalamatan Elementary School, UsmanBaunga Elementary School, Muamad Elementary School, J. Marquez Elementary School, J. Marquez National High School, and Datu Siang Elementary School.

For the Notre Dame Village National High School, shifting of classes will be implemented instead of a total suspension.

Further, the City Schools Division of Cotabato City will also be introducing the Education in Emergency program of the Department of Education that is especially created for crisis situations. In this program, the teachers will gather all students in one area, regardless of their levels, and hold special classes altogether. These classes, though, are not like the regular ones but are already modified only to fill in the number of days required by the department.

Meanwhile, City Social Welfare Officer Cheribin Viloria said the city government has already distributed relief packs and tarpaulins to several barangays but is set to augment these to cater to the other home-based victims.

“We have already made contact with our partners in the private sector for them to accommodate our emergency requests for rice and other food items,” Viloria said.

Mayor Guiani-Sayadi said the city government aims for zero casualty in this crisis situation“which is why all the barangays officials are directed to continuously monitor their areas and assist in the evacuation of the victims.”

“We also gave warning to those living along riverbanks to follow forced evacuation orders for their own safety.We will be implementing forced evacuations giving priority to our senior citizens, children, and pregnant women who are living along riverbanks,” said the mayor.

Cotabato City is considered the catch basin of Central Mindanao. Every time the areas in the upstream experience heavy rainfall, all the water go down to the Rio Grande de Mindanao, causing it to overflow. Aside from water, other silt materials and water hyacinth fill the river, hampering the normal flow of water. (GILMHAR A. LAO WITH CITY GOVERNMENT OF COTABATO – MINDANAO EXPOSE’)