KIDAPAWAN CITY (MindaNews/7 June) – Two persons died in separate drowning incidents in North Cotabato when floods hit the province and nearby areas after heavy rains Monday as over 300 families were displaced by the floods in the province and in neighboring municipalities in Davao del Sur.
In Carmen town where the Malitubog-Maridagao River is located, a 32-year-old militia man identified as Noel Hiso drowned when he tried to cross the river Monday afternoon after his duty at the barangay. His bloated body was found the next morning in Barangay Kibenis, a low-lying village in Carmen.
In Magpet, a hinterland town in North Cotabato, a farmer identified as Paulino Canja, 57, drowned when he tried to cross Tuael River, one of the province’s longest rivers, around 10 p.m. Monday. His body was found floating in the Binay River also in Magpet town 6 a.m. today.
In President Roxas town, 294 families were displaced by the floods as 98 houses were partially damaged by strong flood waters in the Poblacion and other upland villages.
Several hectares of lands planted to corn, rice and vegetables were damaged, according to Poblacion village chair Mario Calayco. He said they heard boulders coming from the mountains after the heavy rains.
When Calayco surveyed the area the next day, he was surprised to see boulders blocking the highway and the damaged rice and corn fields in low-lying areas.
In neighboring Davao del Sur, at least 40 families from three towns evacuated to safer grounds when floods hit their villages Monday. Affected towns include Magsaysay, Matan-ao and Bansalan.
Reports said the flood victims were forced to vacate their houses when waters from the Bulatucan River in nearby Makilala town in North Cotabato rose to as high as 10 feet.
Disaster teams from Davao del Sur and North Cotabato provinces have begun preparing food and other relief items to be distributed to flood victims. (Malu Cadeliña Manar / MindaNews)