Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Maguindanao (Agenzia Fides) - Floods and incessant torrential rains have flooded 18 cities in the province of Maguindanao, situated in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
In addition to 45.594 people forced to evacuate from the area, the water has destroyed entire crops of rice and corn. Local authorities have stated that in the next 24 hours, the number of evacuees could increase because of the continuous heavy rains where the rivers flow into the 220 thousand hectares of the Liguasan Delta, in the lower areas of Maguindanao. 10 tons of relief goods have already been distributed in the flooded city of Sultan Kudarat and Kabuntalan, both in the first district of Maguindanao.
In addition, local authorities have requested the monitoring of the waters of the great rivers and the prompt intervention of the armed forces to help the people to leave the area in case of flooding in villages that lie along the rivers. The Philippine province is geographically the catchment area of the waters that flow from Liguasan Marsh and Rio Grande de Mindanao from the north, and by the Allah River in the wooded hinterland of South Cotabato. Maguindanao, in the local language, means "people of the flooded plains". (AP) (Agenzia Fides 30/07/2013)
