Farmer disappears in Maguindanao river flooding

MAGUINDANAO, Philippines — A 28-year-old farmer went missing while crossing a river in Barira town on Friday as waters swelled from torrential rains.

Randy Ferenal was reportedly trying to cross the Lipawan River, which cuts through corn and orchard farms at the boundary of Maguindanao’s Parang and Barira towns, when he lost his balance, forced by the water's heavy downstream gush, and disappeared.

The Humanitarian Emergency Assistance and Relief Team (HEART) of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao said local officials and residents have conducted a search operation for Ferenal.

ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman, who has ministerial control over the inter-agency HEART, said he has requested the regional police office in Camp S.K. Pendatun, also in Parang, to help in the search for Ferenal.

Hataman led HEART’s relief missions Saturday to flooded areas in Maguindanao, where hundreds got marooned on high grounds after rivers criss-crossing through low-lying areas overflowed due to the heavy downpour on Wednesday.

In its latest advisory, HEART said among the areas served by Hataman and his subordinates were riverside enclaves in Sultan Kudarat and Montawal towns in the first and second districts of Maguindanao.

HEART's operation center is located inside the 32-hectare ARMM compound in Cotabato City.