Several weather disturbances affected the Philippines within the month of July till August. Low Pressure Areas (LPAs) and the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) affected several regions in the country. A total of 94,383 families or 471,935 persons from 7 regions, 13 provinces, 33 municipalities and 6 cities were affected by floods and landslides. Four people were reported injured by floods; and 9 people by landslides. Two people were also reported killed due to the landslide in Zamboanga del Sur.

 

The most flood-affected provinces were Maguindanao, Cotabato City and North Cotabato.

 

In Maguindanao, floods continue to affect at least 22 areas, according to the NDRRMC (National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council). Maguindanao was placed under a state of calamity. NDRRMC spokesman Maj. Rey Balido said floods in some areas still reach up to the waist. The floods had affected 15 schools in 13 districts in Maguindanao. As of Sunday noon, 49,615 families or 247,428 people in 185 villages in 22 towns had been affected.

 

There were also reports from Kabuntalan Mayor Bai Lannie Diocolano that her town, which has been affected by flash floods for the last two weeks along with 21 other Maguindanao towns, was running out of food. While the Department of Social Welfare and Development had provided her constituents with food, it was not enough, she said.

 

In Cotabato City, more than 100,000 residents were also affected by floods. At least 37 villages have been submerged by flood waters for a week already forcing thousands of residents to move to higher grounds. Some affected families preferred to stay in their homes and used bancas in moving to other places while majority opted to move to temporary evacuation centers put up by the city government. Relief operations have been on-going for those whose houses were flooded and evacuated.

 

In North Cotabato, the town of Tulunan was placed under a state of calamity following the flash floods that devastated at least 20 villages last week, damaging newly planted agricultural crops. At least P1 million worth of agricultural crops were washed out by the rampaging floods that reached Barangay Poblacion, the Municipal Disaster Risk and Reduction Management Officer (MDRRMO) said. The Office of the Municipal Agriculturist has already distributed free seedlings to at least 500 farmers who have lost their crops.