North Cotabato town folk flee homes due to flooding

KORONADAL CITY , Philippines — Hundreds of families in a village in Tantangan, South Cotabato left their homes amid flooding spawned by heavy rains on Friday.

Initial reports showed that five sitios in Barangay New Iloilo were affected.

Freda Liza Gazo, acting chief of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, said the town’s social welfare office reported that 288 families or more than 1,000 individuals were displaced.

Gazo said concerned social welfare agencies extended aid to the evacuees, mostly children.

Barangay captain Benhur Pinol said water in the creek overflowed due to continuous heavy rains.

Pinol said traffic was also snarled because roads weresubmerged in floodwater.