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KORONADAL CITY (MindaNews / 30 October) – The widespread flooding in Maguindanao provinces and Cotabato City due to the heavy rainfall spawned by Typhoon Paeng (international name: Nalgae) has affected at least 578,258 individuals, according to the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao’s (BARMM) Rapid Emergency Action on Disaster Incidence (READi).
Situation Report 3 of the Bangsamoro READi, issued at 6 p.m. Saturday, but released at 11 p.m., the affected individuals came from 182,263 households or 578,258 individuals, mostly in Maguindanao del Norte and del Sur.
The report said Cotabato City, the seat of government of the BARMM, has the most flood-affected individuals at 337,980 from 67,596 households followed by Sultan Kudarat in Maguindanao del Norte with 134,885 from 26,977 households and Upi, Maguindanao del Norte with 43,095 persons from 8,619 households.
It said that at least 305 barangays from Cotabato City, the two Maguindanao provinces, the Special Geographic Area and Lanao del Sur were affected by the flooding, the worst to hit the autonomous Muslim region in recent years.
The SitRep 3 report said at least 40 people died from flash floods and landslides, correcting its SitRep 2 report Friday of 67 dead.
On Sunday morning, four more were reported dead, bringing the total to 44.
The report does not say how many of the half a million affected residents are in evacuation centers.
Local Governments Minister Naguib Sinarimbo, also BARMM spokesperson and READi chief, said there was a mistake in the consolidation of reports from the field and from the reports of the rescue teams.
Bangsamoro Interim Chief Minister Ahod “Al Haj Murad” Ebrahim placed the region in a state of calamity on Saturday due to the massive devastation wrought by Typhoon Paeng. Ebrahim in August also placed the region under a state of calamity until October 31 due to flooding in Maguindanao and Cotabato City.
As of press time, the cost of damages to infrastructure and agriculture due to the flooding is still being determined.
The flood waters damaged the Darapanan Bridge in Sultan Kudarat town, Nituan Bridge in Parang, Labu-Labu 1 Bridge in Datu Hoffer and Oring Bridge in Buldon, Bangsamoro READi reported.
These bridges remained impassable to four-wheel vehicles as of 6 p.m. Saturday.
The bad weather condition cancelled flights to and from Cotabato airport on Friday and Saturday.
The Ministry of Social Services and Development has distributed at least 2,700 food packs and 2,000 sacks of 25-kilo rice to the affected families, BARMM-READi reported.
Based on Tropical Cyclone Bulletin 23 issued by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration at 5 a.m. Sunday, the center of Typhoon Paeng was estimated at 85 kilometers west northwest of Iba, Zambales, hovering over the West Philippine Sea.
It packed maximum sustained winds of 85 km/h near the center and gustiness of 105 km/h, the state weather forecaster said.
Paeng was moving west, northwest at 30 km/h, it added. (Bong S. Sarmiento / MindaNews)
