Malacañang Assures Help for Maguindanao Residents Affected by Floods

Following flash floods that damaged crops in at least five towns in Maguindanao last week due to heavy rain, Malacañang on Saturday reassured affected residents of assistance.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said they are making sure that affected residents will be given evacuation centers and relief goods, adding that these evacuation centers will continue to operate as long as they are needed.

She added the local government units and regional government of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) are working to address their problem.

The floods have so far caused more than P800,000 in damage to agriculture but this could go higher as the amount covers only one of the 13 affected towns, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported.

The NDRRMC, in its update, said a breakdown of the affected 13,064 families from 91 barangays included:

– Ampatuan (assessment still ongoing)
– Datu Abdullah Sangki, 773 families
– Datu Montawal, 1,160 families
– Datu Odin Sinsuat (assessment still ongoing)
– Datu Piang (assessment still ongoing)
– Datu Salibo, 300 families
– Mamasapano, 2,000 families
– Mother Kabuntalan, 4,467 families
– Pagalungan (assessment still ongoing)
– Northern Kabuntalan, 2,095 families
– Rajah Buayan, 755 families
– Sharif Saydona (assessment still ongoing)
– Sultan Sa Barongis, 1,514 families

The floods also affected seven schools but there was no suspension of classes, report said. The affected schools included:

– Montay Primary School
– Balong Elementary School
– Tumaguinting Elementary School
– Guiawa Primary School
– Manampen Elementary School
– Libungan Elementary School
– Kabuntalan North District

Reports added the floods also damaged P805,000 in agriculture in Datu Piang town, and 100 hectares of corn and 100 hectares of rice in Barangay Ganta in Kabuntalan.

As of Friday night, the NDRRMC said the number of families affected by the flooding in Maguindanao province since June 13 rose to 13,064,

Source: Gma News Online, NDRRMC

Image Credit: www.gmanetwork.com