Noy to visit flood-stricken Cotabato

MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino is set to visit Cotabato tomorrow where thousands of residents were displaced due to flashfloods caused by continuous rains and the swelling of the Rio Grande de Mindanao and its tributaries.

Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office Secretary Ricky Carandang said Aquino ordered all concerned agencies to take care of the needs of the people in the area.

Citing a report from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)as of 3 p.m. on Sunday, Carandang said the number of people affected by the floods reached 962,591.

“We have 40 evacuation centers with about 91,000 people there – people being served by the NDRRMC (National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council) and the DSWD. The relief goods are there. Everything that we usually do when there are typhoons, we do them now. Five of the evacuation centers have already been closed because the families were able to go back to their houses,” Carandang said.

He said the government has spent P12 million for the operations, of which P7 million came from the DSWD national and P1 million from DSWD-ARMM. He said the local government units also chipped in P3.45-million and about P350,000 came from non-government organizations.

More than 200 schools in Cotabato City and in the first and second district of Maguindanao and in North Cotabato’s adjoining Aleosan, Pikit and Midsayap towns, remain suspended due to flooding.

Members of the Sanguniang Panglungsod also cancelled the planned activities in celebration of the 52nd founding anniversary of Cotabato City and instead distributed relief goods to flood victims in isolated barangays here.

Cotabato City police led by Senior Superintendent Roberto Badian are still helping in the evacuation of villagers trapped in flooded communities.